← 12 Dec Wednesday 13 December 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 14 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
45,581 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 news turned to violence in Dhaka and Brussels and deaths in Bucharest. Romania's coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostRomania 44 in 100 of its 378 stories, usually 10
RegionEast Asia 19 in 100 of its stories, usually 16
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

Bangladesh

476 of its 776 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Dhaka accounted for 251 of Bangladesh's 476 stories about harm, carried by 232 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (56 stories). Diphtheria was named in 30 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories → Dhaka stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Romania

165 of its 378 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 10%. Bucharest accounted for 159 of Romania's 165 stories about harm, carried by 148 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (156 stories). Its coverage was about 5 times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Romania over 30 days → its stories → Bucharest stories →
Health

Belgium

197 of its 470 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Brussels accounted for 175 of Belgium's 197 stories about harm, carried by 144 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (49 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Yemen

284 of its 338 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 75%. Sanaa accounted for 235 of Yemen's 284 stories about harm, carried by 197 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 9 times the usual rate (97 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

China

804 of its 3,765 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (381 stories). Polio was named in 133 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with poisoning. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

527 of its 958 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Ramallah accounted for 310 of Palestine's 527 stories about harm, carried by 21 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Burundi

61 of its 85 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Bujumbura accounted for 36 of Burundi's 61 stories about harm, carried by 41 outlets. 36 of Bujumbura's 36 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Congo

98 of its 122 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. Measles was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Ethiopia

48 of its 132 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. 8 of Chelenko's 9 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (33 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: road crashes in Indonesia (91 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Ghana (44 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Tonga (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); polio in China (133 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); avalanche in Kashmir (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 21 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10014 Nov21 Nov28 Nov5 Dec13 Dec14 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 1005 Dec: 20 in 1006 Dec: 20 in 1007 Dec: 19 in 1008 Dec: 20 in 1009 Dec: 23 in 10010 Dec: 24 in 10011 Dec: 22 in 10012 Dec: 21 in 10013 Dec: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 13 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 45,581 stories about harm among 223,827 counted on 13 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Indonesia's news mentioned road crashes more than ten times as often as usual. 20 in every 100 of the day's 223,827 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Bangladesh, 61% of the news was about people being harmed, where 50% is usual. On 13 December 2016, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen84 in 100 of its 338 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Congo80 in 100 of its 122 stories · usually 70 · mostly rights & justice Myanmar76 in 100 of its 166 stories · usually 58 · mostly rights & justice Sudan72 in 100 of its 141 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Burundi72 in 100 of its 85 stories · usually 56 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel443 stories about protests or strikes, of its 933 Washington US314 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2848 London UK130 stories about protests or strikes, of its 771 Ramallah Palestine124 stories about protests or strikes, of its 310 Boston US101 stories about protests or strikes, of its 439

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: too little coverage to readUnited 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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 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 lessSwitzerland: 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 lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: 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 lessRussia: too little coverage to readRomania: 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: 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 lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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 readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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 lessEl Salvador: 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 lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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 lessChile: 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: too little coverage to readMyanmar: 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 lessBulgaria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: too little coverage to readAksai 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: too little coverage to readSiachen Glacier: too little coverage to readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: too little coverage to readVatican 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: too little coverage to readNauru: 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 readVenezuela: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPuerto Rico: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGreece: warmth about one and a half times its own usualArgentina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualLubbock, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 16 outletsRakhine State, Myanmar -- conflict & violence: 45 stories, carried by 35 outletsState of Texas, US -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 17 outletsIbadan, Nigeria -- food & livelihood: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsSwindon, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 13 outletsBanjul, Gambia -- food & livelihood: 16 stories, carried by 14 outletsAuckland, New Zealand -- health: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- conflict & violence: 31 stories, carried by 26 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

● Venezuela warmth about one and a half times usual ● Greece warmth about one and a half times usual ● Argentina warmth about one and a half times usual ● Niger warmth about one and a half times usual ● Indonesia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Lubbock US about three times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Rakhine State Myanmar about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 45 stories ● State of Texas US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories ● Ibadan Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · food & livelihood · 11 stories ● Swindon UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 12,272 stories · less than usual (usually 30%) Health20% 8,911 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence18% 8,153 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents17% 7,530 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,621 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood6% 2,576 stories · more than usual (usually 2%) Shelter & services3% 1,505 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 1,068 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 killed12,241 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,489 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,225 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,716 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting evacuations670 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees601 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the Czechia and Greece Stories reporting people displaced572 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions441 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill37 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and France

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.