← 18 Dec Tuesday 19 December 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 20 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
42,347 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 →

Protests in Buenos Aires (Argentina), people displaced in Zagreb and storms in Vanuatu drew the news. Croatia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSt Vincent 83 in 100 of its 132 stories, usually 12
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 37 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Argentina

316 of its 453 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Buenos Aires accounted for 293 of Argentina's 316 stories about harm, carried by 232 outlets. 279 of Buenos Aires' 293 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (264 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Argentina over 30 days → its stories → Buenos Aires stories →
Displacement

Croatia

118 of its 199 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Zagreb accounted for 117 of Croatia's 118 stories about harm, carried by 120 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (114 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Croatia over 30 days → its stories → Zagreb stories →
Disasters & accidents

Vanuatu

13 of its 21 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people affected ran at about 10 times the usual rate (8 stories). Storms were named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Vanuatu over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

536 of its 1,159 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (244 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Myanmar

158 of its 187 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Yangon accounted for 98 of Myanmar's 158 stories about harm, carried by 62 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (57 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Lebanon

141 of its 257 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Beirut accounted for 115 of Lebanon's 141 stories about harm, carried by 113 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (24 stories).

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Belarus

39 of its 106 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bolivia

21 of its 37 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 15 of el Alto's 16 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 7 times the usual rate (12 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mozambique

22 of its 59 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Road crashes were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: volcanic eruption in Saudi Arabia (130 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Kenya (55 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Philippines (141 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); road crashes in Mozambique (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Malawi (15 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 22 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10020 Nov27 Nov4 Dec11 Dec19 Dec20 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 10014 Dec: 20 in 10015 Dec: 19 in 10016 Dec: 21 in 10017 Dec: 22 in 10018 Dec: 22 in 10019 Dec: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 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 42,347 stories about harm among 199,486 counted on 19 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Saudi Arabia's news mentioned volcanic eruption more than ten times as often as usual. 21 in every 100 of the day's 199,486 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Argentina, 70% of the news was about people being harmed, where 42% is usual. On 19 December 2016, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Myanmar84 in 100 of its 187 stories · usually 57 · mostly rights & justice St Vincent83 in 100 of its 132 stories · usually 12 · mostly health Congo82 in 100 of its 102 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Niger79 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen75 in 100 of its 291 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel466 stories about protests or strikes, of its 738 Washington US294 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2047 Buenos Aires Argentina279 stories about protests or strikes, of its 293 Hollywood US187 stories about protests or strikes, of its 481 Charlottesville US141 stories about protests or strikes, of its 182

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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth 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 lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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 lessSyria: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSamoa: 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 lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: 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: too little coverage to readPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: too little coverage to readOman: too little coverage to readNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: 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: too little coverage to readNamibia: 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: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readIreland: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: 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 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 lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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 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 lessAzerbaijan: 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 lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: too little coverage to readWest Bank: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: too little coverage to readVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualSt Vincent: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRussia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRomania: warmth about twice its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMozambique: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualHonduras: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualCongo: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChile: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAlbania: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualHindu Kush, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 11 outletsEsteio, Brazil -- disasters & accidents: 17 stories, carried by 16 outletsWake Forest, US -- health: 162 stories, carried by 169 outletsMaputo, Mozambique -- disasters & accidents: 18 stories, carried by 142 outletsKingstown, St Vincent -- health: 110 stories, carried by 110 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 63 stories, carried by 56 outletsPetersburg, Russia -- conflict & violence: 51 stories, carried by 57 outletsOrange County, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 18 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

● Romania warmth about twice usual ● St Vincent warmth about one and a half times usual ● Argentina warmth about one and a half times usual ● Congo warmth about one and a half times usual ● Spain warmth about one and a half times usual ● North Korea warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Hindu Kush Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Esteio Brazil about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 17 stories ● Wake Forest US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 162 stories ● Maputo Mozambique about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 18 stories ● Kingstown St Vincent about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 110 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 11,295 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents25% 10,175 stories · much more than usual (usually 17%) Health18% 7,544 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence16% 6,617 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,274 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,367 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,291 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 802 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 killed14,090 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,617 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured5,533 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Argentina Stories reporting people affected4,693 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees911 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions490 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced452 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations387 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill39 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as 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

Read the week →

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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.