← 20 Dec Thursday 21 December 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
40,525 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 the earthquake in Iran, people injured in Australia and protests in Baghdad (Iraq). Saudi Arabia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about France and the US →
Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSouth Sudan 92 in 100 of its 251 stories, usually 61
RegionOceania 30 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
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

Iran

264 of its 563 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Tehran accounted for 199 of Iran's 264 stories about harm, carried by 169 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (47 stories). Earthquake was named in 164 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Rights & justice

Australia

2,155 of its 6,865 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (1,172 stories). Hypothermia was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Australia over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

290 of its 423 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. 47 of Baghdad's 84 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Saudi Arabia

Riyadh accounted for 204 of Saudi Arabia's 236 stories about harm, carried by 196 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (29 stories). Cholera was named in 83 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Colombia

69 of its 153 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. 4 of Bogota's 8 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (21 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mexico

510 of its 1,207 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (243 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Myanmar

95 of its 119 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Yangon accounted for 67 of Myanmar's 95 stories about harm, carried by 75 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (58 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

832 of its 1,850 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (394 stories). Tropical storm was named in 251 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with power cuts.

its stories →
Displacement

Lebanon

154 of its 334 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Beirut accounted for 119 of Lebanon's 154 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (79 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

305 of its 471 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Kabul accounted for 233 of Afghanistan's 305 stories about harm, carried by 264 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: food poisoning in France (138 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); hurricane in Cuba (34 of its stories, about three times its usual); tropical storm in Philippines (251 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); tuberculosis in Tanzania (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Fiji (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 20 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10022 Nov29 Nov6 Dec13 Dec21 Dec22 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 10021 Dec: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 40,525 stories about harm among 202,155 counted on 21 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about France and the US. Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 202,155 stories, as usual. It was the second day running that the news turned to Iran. In Iran's news, mentions of the earthquake ran about three times their usual. Iran stood out: 47% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 34%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

South Sudan92 in 100 of its 251 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Myanmar80 in 100 of its 119 stories · usually 59 · mostly rights & justice Yemen76 in 100 of its 340 stories · usually 75 · mostly health Iraq69 in 100 of its 423 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan65 in 100 of its 471 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US337 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1857 Jerusalem Israel273 stories about protests or strikes, of its 573 Barcelona Spain205 stories about protests or strikes, of its 252 Charlottesville US152 stories about protests or strikes, of its 160 Hebron Palestine143 stories about protests or strikes, of its 148

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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readTonga: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: 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 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: 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 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 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 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: 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 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 lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: 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: 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: 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 lessJapan: 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 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: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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: 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 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 lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: 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: too little coverage to readCongo: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: too little coverage to readBurundi: 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: 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 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 readAntigua & 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: 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 readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualPanama: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualNorth Macedonia: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualEcuador: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualAlbania: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualBermuda: warmth about its own usualMaldives: warmth about its own usualKatha, India -- shelter & services: 17 stories, carried by 18 outletsMelut, South Sudan -- displacement: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsPathankot, India -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 14 outletsDinka, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 63 stories, carried by 55 outletsGulf of Mexico, US -- disasters & accidents: 19 stories, carried by 31 outletsDoha, Qatar -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsTumalo, US -- other: 21 stories, carried by 23 outletsMorogoro, Tanzania -- health: 17 stories, carried by 17 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

● South Africa warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Katha India about three times as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 17 stories ● Melut South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · displacement · 15 stories ● Pathankot India about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories ● Dinka South Sudan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 63 stories ● Gulf of Mexico US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 19 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 11,566 stories · about as usual Health22% 8,579 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence18% 7,111 stories · less than usual (usually 21%) Disasters & accidents17% 6,846 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 2,121 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,307 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,201 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 938 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 killed12,784 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,202 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,527 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,345 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees1,035 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions408 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced374 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations319 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting people falling ill137 at about twice the usual rate · most about France 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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than 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.