← 3 Dec Monday 4 December 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
34,425 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 →

The day's news pointed at violence in Valletta, protests in Tegucigalpa (Honduras) and people displaced in Balaka. Malta's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMalta 82 in 100 of its 491 stories, usually 17
RegionEvery region about as usual
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Malta

403 of its 491 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Valletta accounted for 276 of Malta's 403 stories about harm, carried by 264 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (396 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Malta over 30 days → its stories → Valletta stories →
Protests & strikes

Honduras

229 of its 435 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Tegucigalpa accounted for 190 of Honduras' 229 stories about harm, carried by 162 outlets. 188 of Tegucigalpa's 190 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (184 stories).

Honduras over 30 days → its stories → Tegucigalpa stories →
Health

Philippines

803 of its 1,819 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (94 stories). Malaria was named in 88 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with haemorrhagic fever, measles and respiratory illness. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Philippines over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Palestine

297 of its 456 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Nablus accounted for 231 of Palestine's 297 stories about harm, carried by 17 outlets. Flooding was named in 70 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Jordan

126 of its 291 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (76 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Spain

538 of its 1,243 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Madrid accounted for 460 of Spain's 538 stories about harm, carried by 421 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (438 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Congo

70 of its 94 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (36 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

North Macedonia

30 of its 44 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. 22 of Skopje's 27 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

795 of its 1,524 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (41 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drownings in Iraq (79 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Palestine (70 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plane crash in Colombia (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in India (311 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); drought in Uganda (19 of its stories, about three times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
25 in 10019 in 1005 Nov12 Nov19 Nov26 Nov4 Dec5 Nov: 25 in 1006 Nov: 24 in 1007 Nov: 22 in 1008 Nov: 19 in 1009 Nov: 20 in 10010 Nov: 19 in 10011 Nov: 20 in 10012 Nov: 22 in 10013 Nov: 21 in 10014 Nov: 20 in 10015 Nov: 20 in 10016 Nov: 19 in 10017 Nov: 19 in 10018 Nov: 21 in 10019 Nov: 21 in 10020 Nov: 19 in 10021 Nov: 20 in 10022 Nov: 20 in 10023 Nov: 20 in 10024 Nov: 21 in 10025 Nov: 24 in 10026 Nov: 23 in 10027 Nov: 20 in 10028 Nov: 20 in 10029 Nov: 19 in 10030 Nov: 19 in 1001 Dec: 20 in 1002 Dec: 21 in 1003 Dec: 20 in 1004 Dec: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 34,425 stories about harm among 184,618 counted on 4 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 10 November 2016. 19 in every 100 of the day's 184,618 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. In Malta, 82% of the news was about people being harmed, where 17% is usual. Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. Mentions of drownings ran more than ten times their usual in Iraq's news.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Central African Republic88 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 63 · mostly displacement Malta82 in 100 of its 491 stories · usually 17 · mostly conflict & violence Dominican Republic81 in 100 of its 110 stories · usually 17 · mostly health Congo74 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia71 in 100 of its 140 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US220 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1094 Tegucigalpa Honduras188 stories about protests or strikes, of its 190 Madrid Spain181 stories about protests or strikes, of its 460 Sanaa Yemen138 stories about protests or strikes, of its 896 Islamabad Pakistan110 stories about protests or strikes, of its 542

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: too little coverage to readVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: too little coverage to readEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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 lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. 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 lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: 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 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: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: 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: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: 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 lessAksai Chin: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSomalia: warmth about twice its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualKuwait: warmth about its own usualJordan: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIran: warmth about one and a half times its own usualFrance: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEl Salvador: warmth about its own usualDominican Republic: warmth about its own usualDenmark: warmth about one and a half times its own usualCosta Rica: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBosnia: warmth about its own usualBhutan: warmth about its own usualBalaka, Central African Republic -- displacement: 46 stories, carried by 45 outletsIllinois, US -- food & livelihood: 40 stories, carried by 44 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 61 stories, carried by 37 outletsMadison Square, US -- disasters & accidents: 52 stories, carried by 65 outletsAmman, Jordan -- conflict & violence: 88 stories, carried by 76 outletsZurich, Switzerland -- health: 29 stories, carried by 19 outletsYenagoa, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 19 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 24 stories, carried by 20 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

● Somalia warmth about twice usual ● France warmth about one and a half times usual ● Denmark warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual ● Central African Republic warmth about one and a half times usual ● Sri Lanka warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Balaka Central African Republic about three times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 46 stories ● Illinois US about twice as warm as the day's news · food & livelihood · 40 stories ● Mogadishu Somalia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 61 stories ● Madison Square US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 52 stories ● Amman Jordan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 88 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 9,473 stories · about as usual Health23% 7,677 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence20% 6,849 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 4,953 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,859 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,154 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 974 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 859 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 killed9,225 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Yemen Stories reporting arrests5,113 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,518 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,026 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Yemen Stories reporting refugees695 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced408 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions340 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations271 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill112 at about twice the usual rate · most about the Philippines 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 much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than usual
● Fearabout as 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

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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.