← 29 Dec Saturday 30 December 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 31 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
27,173 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to protests in Tehran (Iran), illness in Lusaka and violence in Cairo. Egypt's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Ukraine and the US → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostEgypt 80 in 100 of its 821 stories, usually 42
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 62 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 →
Protests & strikes

Iran

1,245 of its 1,680 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Tehran accounted for 830 of Iran's 1,245 stories about harm, carried by 633 outlets. 803 of Tehran's 830 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 10 times the usual rate (678 stories). Bird flu was named in 253 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flu. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories → Tehran stories →
Health

Zambia

67 of its 100 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Lusaka accounted for 63 of Zambia's 67 stories about harm, carried by 54 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (64 stories). Cholera was named in 64 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Zambia over 30 days → its stories → Lusaka stories →
Conflict & violence

Egypt

657 of its 821 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Cairo accounted for 567 of Egypt's 657 stories about harm, carried by 575 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (213 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Egypt over 30 days → its stories → Cairo stories →
Disasters & accidents

Libya

69 of its 102 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Oil spill was named in 27 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Argentina

90 of its 171 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. 59 of Buenos Aires' 71 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (69 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Peru

76 of its 149 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 28 of Alberto Fujimori's 32 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

361 of its 437 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 68%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (40 stories). Drownings were named in 60 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with meningitis. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Israel

438 of its 915 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Jerusalem accounted for 394 of Israel's 438 stories about harm, carried by 163 outlets. 247 of Jerusalem's 394 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (58 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

187 of its 253 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Imam Mahdi accounted for 136 of Iraq's 187 stories about harm, carried by 97 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (150 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

North Korea

170 of its 633 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. 131 of Pyongyang's 156 stories were about protests or strikes. Earthquake was named in 126 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.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in North Korea (126 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); accidents in Puerto Rico (226 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Mozambique (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Denmark (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in Canada (119 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 24 the day before
27 in 10019 in 1001 Dec8 Dec15 Dec22 Dec30 Dec1 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 10029 Dec: 24 in 10030 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 30 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 27,173 stories about harm among 102,239 counted on 30 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed since 21 October 2017. Stories about people being harmed made up 27 in every 100 of the day's 102,239 stories, above the usual 21. Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. In North Korea's news, mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen88 in 100 of its 113 stories · usually 76 · mostly conflict & violence Congo84 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 74 · mostly rights & justice Puerto Rico84 in 100 of its 456 stories · usually 45 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria83 in 100 of its 437 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence Egypt80 in 100 of its 821 stories · usually 42 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Tehran Iran803 stories about protests or strikes, of its 830 Staten Island US315 stories about protests or strikes, of its 340 Mashhad Iran274 stories about protests or strikes, of its 277 Cairo Egypt249 stories about protests or strikes, of its 567 Jerusalem Israel247 stories about protests or strikes, of its 394

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: too little coverage to readVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: 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 lessUkraine: too little coverage to readUganda: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: 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 lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: too little coverage to readSomalia: 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 readSaudi 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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 lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: 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 lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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 lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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 readIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: 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 lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican 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: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: 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: 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: too little coverage to readChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia 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: too little coverage to readBelarus: 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 lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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 lessCrimea: too little coverage to readEast 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSenegal: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualAustralia: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualDubai, United Arab Emirates -- disasters & accidents: 17 stories, carried by 13 outletsBamako, Mali -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 11 outletsIllinois, US -- disasters & accidents: 23 stories, carried by 22 outletsIstanbul, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 40 stories, carried by 32 outletsOhio, US -- disasters & accidents: 33 stories, carried by 32 outletsWest Midlands, UK -- health: 27 stories, carried by 21 outletsBerlin, Germany -- rights & justice: 45 stories, carried by 41 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 28 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Dubai United Arab Emirates about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 17 stories ● Bamako Mali about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 18 stories ● Illinois US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 23 stories ● Istanbul Türkiye about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 40 stories ● Ohio US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 33 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 7,415 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents22% 5,925 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence20% 5,371 stories · about as usual Health18% 4,815 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,460 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 832 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 536 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 399 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 killed9,244 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests4,133 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Iran Stories reporting people injured2,786 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Russia Stories reporting people affected2,743 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions584 at about three times the usual rate · most about Ukraine and the US Stories reporting refugees383 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced369 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and Israel Stories reporting evacuations243 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill15 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India

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
● Griefa little more 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.