← 19 Dec Wednesday 20 December 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
38,885 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 people injured in Mexico, protests in Baghdad (Iraq) and violence in Tehran. Iraq's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMexico 58 in 100 of its 1,678 stories, usually 21
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 34 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 →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

978 of its 1,678 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (726 stories). Road crashes were named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Mexico over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

515 of its 667 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. 74 of Baghdad's 120 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

267 of its 581 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Tehran accounted for 194 of Iran's 267 stories about harm, carried by 145 outlets. Flooding was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

North Macedonia

35 of its 50 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. 29 of Skopje's 29 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (33 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Congo

86 of its 104 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (49 stories). Cholera was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

Riyadh accounted for 298 of Saudi Arabia's 348 stories about harm, carried by 209 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (26 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 34 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Senegal

45 of its 80 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Dakar accounted for 42 of Senegal's 45 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

North Korea

183 of its 558 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people affected ran at about 9 times the usual rate (95 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Somalia

175 of its 216 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 74%. Mogadishu accounted for 132 of Somalia's 175 stories about harm, carried by 133 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hurricane in Switzerland (26 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in Greece (40 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); accidents in Albania (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Japan (26 of its stories, about three times its usual); cholera in Congo (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 21 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10021 Nov28 Nov5 Dec12 Dec20 Dec21 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 10020 Dec: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 38,885 stories about harm among 197,627 counted on 20 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of the hurricane ran more than ten times their usual in Switzerland's news. of the day's 197,627 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Mexico stood out: 58% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 21%. A year earlier, on 20 December 2016, 23 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo83 in 100 of its 104 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia81 in 100 of its 216 stories · usually 74 · mostly disasters & accidents Myanmar81 in 100 of its 167 stories · usually 58 · mostly rights & justice Iraq77 in 100 of its 667 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen76 in 100 of its 255 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel392 stories about protests or strikes, of its 644 Washington US205 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1360 Ramallah Palestine115 stories about protests or strikes, of its 283 New York US96 stories about protests or strikes, of its 396 Hollywood US93 stories about protests or strikes, of its 446

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 readYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: too little coverage to readVenezuela: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: too little coverage to readSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: 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 lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: too little coverage to readPoland: 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 lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: too little coverage to readNiger: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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 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 lessLebanon: 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: too little coverage to readKenya: 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: too little coverage to readPalestine: 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 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: 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 lessFrance: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: 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: too little coverage to readCentral 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 lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: 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: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: 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: 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: 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: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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 readTürkiye: warmth about its own usualTaiwan: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualNorth Macedonia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualCameroon: warmth about its own usualBurkina Faso: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualBahrain: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualMaldives: warmth about its own usualKatha, India -- shelter & services: 44 stories, carried by 37 outletsMelut, South Sudan -- displacement: 18 stories, carried by 11 outletsOrana, Australia -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 10 stories, carried by 42 outletsBahr el Ghazal, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsSkopje, North Macedonia -- rights & justice: 29 stories, carried by 28 outletsKingaroy, Australia -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 33 stories, carried by 15 outletsWake Forest, US -- health: 26 stories, carried by 29 outletsKingstown, St Vincent -- health: 13 stories, carried by 38 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

● North Macedonia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Katha India about twice as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 44 stories ● Melut South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 18 stories ● Orana Australia about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 10 stories ● Bahr el Ghazal South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Skopje North Macedonia about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 29 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 11,045 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents21% 7,833 stories · more than usual (usually 17%) Health19% 7,307 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 6,297 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,215 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,459 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,064 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 667 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 killed12,753 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,154 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,332 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,331 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Mexico Stories reporting refugees622 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh Stories reporting evacuations567 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions515 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced391 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill43 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.