← 30 Dec Saturday 31 December 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
30,812 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

Most of the day's attention went to protests in Pyongyang (North Korea), violence in Baghdad and arrests in Brazil. Brazil's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostNorth Korea 79 in 100 of its 200 stories, usually 25
RegionEast Asia 25 in 100 of its stories, usually 14
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

North Korea

158 of its 200 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Pyongyang accounted for 156 of North Korea's 158 stories about harm, carried by 189 outlets. 149 of Pyongyang's 156 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 10 times the usual rate (152 stories). Cholera was named in 146 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

North Korea over 30 days → its stories → Pyongyang stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

1,457 of its 1,630 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Baghdad accounted for 739 of Iraq's 1,457 stories about harm, carried by 783 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (236 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Rights & justice

Brazil

349 of its 926 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (259 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Brazil over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Ireland

472 of its 1,147 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (330 stories). Road crashes were named in 276 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flu and bird flu.

Ireland over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Venezuela

215 of its 311 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Caracas accounted for 157 of Venezuela's 215 stories about harm, carried by 136 outlets. 141 of Caracas' 157 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (163 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

South Korea

500 of its 1,242 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 178 of Seoul's 206 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (77 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

120 of its 357 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (62 stories). Drownings were named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Egypt

273 of its 482 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Cairo accounted for 202 of Egypt's 273 stories about harm, carried by 178 outlets. 111 of Cairo's 202 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

China

613 of its 3,199 stories (19%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. 283 of Shanghai's 296 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (129 stories). Tornadoes were named in 60 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Greece

77 of its 222 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (23 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Costa Rica (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); tropical storm in Bahamas (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); tornadoes in China (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Iran (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); avalanche in Canada (40 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 21 the day before
25 in 10020 in 1002 Dec9 Dec16 Dec23 Dec31 Dec2 Dec: 20 in 1003 Dec: 22 in 1004 Dec: 22 in 1005 Dec: 20 in 1006 Dec: 20 in 1007 Dec: 21 in 1008 Dec: 20 in 1009 Dec: 21 in 10010 Dec: 23 in 10011 Dec: 22 in 10012 Dec: 20 in 10013 Dec: 20 in 10014 Dec: 20 in 10015 Dec: 20 in 10016 Dec: 21 in 10017 Dec: 23 in 10018 Dec: 25 in 10019 Dec: 21 in 10020 Dec: 23 in 10021 Dec: 22 in 10022 Dec: 21 in 10023 Dec: 22 in 10024 Dec: 23 in 10025 Dec: 22 in 10026 Dec: 22 in 10027 Dec: 23 in 10028 Dec: 23 in 10029 Dec: 22 in 10030 Dec: 21 in 10031 Dec: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 Dec. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 30,812 stories about harm among 133,366 counted on 31 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

North Korea's news was 79% about people being harmed, against a usual 25%. of the day's 133,366 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 22. North Korea's news mentioned the cholera more than ten times as often as usual. Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. On 1 January 2016, a year earlier, the share was 24 in every 100, against 23 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iraq89 in 100 of its 1,630 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence North Korea79 in 100 of its 200 stories · usually 25 · mostly rights & justice Congo77 in 100 of its 128 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Syria70 in 100 of its 1,720 stories · usually 79 · mostly conflict & violence Venezuela69 in 100 of its 311 stories · usually 41 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Damascus Syria506 stories about protests or strikes, of its 753 Shanghai China283 stories about protests or strikes, of its 296 Seoul South Korea178 stories about protests or strikes, of its 206 Pyongyang North Korea149 stories about protests or strikes, of its 156 Caracas Venezuela141 stories about protests or strikes, of its 157

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: too little coverage to readNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: too little coverage to readMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: too little coverage to readLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: too little coverage to readJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: too little coverage to readGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: too little coverage to readComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readVietnam: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMexico: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about twice its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualVictoria Falls, UK -- health: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsNiger Delta, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 60 stories, carried by 46 outletsEl-Arish, Egypt -- conflict & violence: 41 stories, carried by 42 outletsPiketon, US -- shelter & services: 59 stories, carried by 82 outletsLucknow, India -- conflict & violence: 36 stories, carried by 28 outletsBerlin, Germany -- conflict & violence: 470 stories, carried by 380 outletsGrand Haven, US -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 18 outletsTripura, Bangladesh -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 16 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

● Germany warmth about twice usual ● Italy warmth about one and a half times usual ● Mexico warmth about one and a half times usual ● North Korea warmth about one and a half times usual ● Indonesia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Victoria Falls UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Niger Delta Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 60 stories ● El-Arish Egypt about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 41 stories ● Piketon US about twice as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 59 stories ● Lucknow India about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 36 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 8,238 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence24% 7,204 stories · about as usual Health17% 5,142 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 4,552 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given8% 2,522 stories · more than usual (usually 6%) Shelter & services4% 1,339 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 757 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 479 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed12,012 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting arrests4,446 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,524 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,229 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees465 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced415 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions398 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting evacuations296 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Singapore Stories reporting people falling ill38 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Canada and the US

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than usual
● Feara little less than usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.