← 27 Dec Thursday 28 December 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 29 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
37,113 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 Kabul, abductions in Peru and people killed in Namibia. Afghanistan's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostAfghanistan 92 in 100 of its 1,565 stories, usually 60
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 44 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

1,432 of its 1,565 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Kabul accounted for 1,358 of Afghanistan's 1,432 stories about harm, carried by 1,276 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (1,240 stories). Power cuts were named in 36 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Afghanistan over 30 days → its stories → Kabul stories →
Rights & justice

Peru

196 of its 366 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Hurricane was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Syria

561 of its 653 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Ghouta accounted for 305 of Syria's 561 stories about harm, carried by 389 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (200 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Tunisia

40 of its 58 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Tunis accounted for 39 of Tunisia's 40 stories about harm, carried by 12 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (33 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Armenia

61 of its 204 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (28 stories). Food poisoning was named in 25 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with poisoning. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

1,115 of its 2,805 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Uganda

134 of its 264 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (74 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Jordan

76 of its 237 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (38 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: storms in Indonesia (51 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); food poisoning in Armenia (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); bird flu in Bahrain (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in North Korea (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); plane crash in Egypt (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 23 the day before
24 in 10019 in 10029 Nov6 Dec13 Dec20 Dec28 Dec29 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 10022 Dec: 20 in 10023 Dec: 23 in 10024 Dec: 23 in 10025 Dec: 24 in 10026 Dec: 23 in 10027 Dec: 23 in 10028 Dec: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 37,113 stories about harm among 163,782 counted on 28 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Indonesia's news mentioned storms more than ten times as often as usual. Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. In Afghanistan, 92% of the news was about people being harmed, where 60% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 23 in every 100 of the day's 163,782 stories, above the usual 21.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan92 in 100 of its 1,565 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen87 in 100 of its 231 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Syria86 in 100 of its 653 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia77 in 100 of its 145 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Guatemala72 in 100 of its 69 stories · usually 34 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel302 stories about protests or strikes, of its 720 Washington US237 stories about protests or strikes, of its 925 Ramallah Palestine151 stories about protests or strikes, of its 193 Mashhad Iran142 stories about protests or strikes, of its 143 Beijing China103 stories about protests or strikes, of its 346

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSudan: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLebanon: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: near the world's share or lessDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessJammu & Kashmir: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessSiachen Glacier: near the world's share or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: near the world's share or lessPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: near the world's share or lessMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesYemen: 87 in 100 of its 231 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Vietnam: 31 in 100 of its 494 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Venezuela: 33 in 100 of its 216 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Ukraine: 50 in 100 of its 385 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Uganda: 51 in 100 of its 264 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Türkiye: 53 in 100 of its 939 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Tunisia: 69 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Trinidad & Tobago: 43 in 100 of its 83 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Syria: 86 in 100 of its 653 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)South Sudan: 74 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Sri Lanka: 32 in 100 of its 237 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Somalia: 77 in 100 of its 145 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Sierra Leone: 48 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Russia: 40 in 100 of its 2,805 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Romania: 34 in 100 of its 158 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Philippines: 40 in 100 of its 1,481 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Peru: 54 in 100 of its 366 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Panama: 36 in 100 of its 55 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Pakistan: 36 in 100 of its 1,505 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Namibia: 55 in 100 of its 53 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Mozambique: 45 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Mali: 77 in 100 of its 26 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Malawi: 38 in 100 of its 64 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Libya: 32 in 100 of its 253 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Jordan: 32 in 100 of its 237 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Israel: 42 in 100 of its 2,217 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Palestine: 36 in 100 of its 752 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Iraq: 68 in 100 of its 418 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Iran: 48 in 100 of its 632 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Indonesia: 36 in 100 of its 358 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Honduras: 59 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Guatemala: 72 in 100 of its 69 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Gambia: 37 in 100 of its 54 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Gabon: 57 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Ethiopia: 52 in 100 of its 67 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Egypt: 43 in 100 of its 460 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)DR Congo: 79 in 100 of its 14 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Congo: 48 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Colombia: 44 in 100 of its 192 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Cameroon: 58 in 100 of its 83 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Cambodia: 47 in 100 of its 132 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Myanmar: 66 in 100 of its 77 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Bosnia: 64 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Bangladesh: 41 in 100 of its 407 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Armenia: 30 in 100 of its 204 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Albania: 41 in 100 of its 56 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Afghanistan: 92 in 100 of its 1,565 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Palestine: 36 in 100 of its 752 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Palestine: 36 in 100 of its 752 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Ukraine: 50 in 100 of its 385 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)Palestine: 36 in 100 of its 752 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 23)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 23 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Afghanistan 92 in 100 of its 1,565 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Syria 86 in 100 of its 653 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Yemen 87 in 100 of its 231 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Iraq 68 in 100 of its 418 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Somalia 77 in 100 of its 145 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Türkiye 53 in 100 of its 939 stories · mostly conflict & violence

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 9,719 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents22% 7,848 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence20% 7,172 stories · about as usual Health18% 6,538 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,116 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,445 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 847 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 784 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 killed11,392 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,915 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Russia Stories reporting people affected4,664 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,164 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting refugees587 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations535 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced488 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and Indonesia Stories reporting abductions319 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill38 at about two-thirds of 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 much harsher than 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.