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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
27,076 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 a disaster in Punta Islita, protests in Tehran (Iran) and violence in Islamabad. Pakistan's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 25 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostCosta Rica 81 in 100 of its 1,013 stories, usually 19
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 48 in 100 of its stories, usually 28
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

Costa Rica

822 of its 1,013 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Punta Islita accounted for 690 of Costa Rica's 822 stories about harm, carried by 896 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (796 stories). Accidents were named in 84 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Protests & strikes

Iran

2,158 of its 2,570 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Tehran accounted for 1,127 of Iran's 2,158 stories about harm, carried by 870 outlets. 1,083 of Tehran's 1,127 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (1,245 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Pakistan

1,133 of its 1,877 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Islamabad accounted for 709 of Pakistan's 1,133 stories about harm, carried by 630 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Rights & justice

UK

1,235 of its 4,740 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (233 stories). Hunger was named in 22 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Syria

320 of its 398 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 70%. Damascus accounted for 223 of Syria's 320 stories about harm, carried by 173 outlets. 191 of Damascus' 223 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Protests & strikes

New Zealand

155 of its 564 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 13 of Waiheke Island's 23 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (48 stories). Heavy rain was named in 32 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with drownings and drought.

Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

208 of its 311 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (160 stories). Drownings were named in 38 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Disasters & accidents

Trinidad & Tobago

41 of its 62 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Flooding was named in 27 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual.

Disasters & accidents

Australia

1,282 of its 3,875 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (24 stories). Drought was named in 40 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

Conflict & violence

Kashmir

154 of its 296 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (54 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Trinidad & Tobago (27 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); snowstorms in France (51 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Palestine (108 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in New Zealand (32 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); drownings in Indonesia (38 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 27 the day before
27 in 10019 in 1003 Dec10 Dec17 Dec24 Dec1 Jan3 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 10031 Dec: 27 in 1001 Jan: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 Jan. 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 27,076 stories about harm among 99,931 counted on 1 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

It was the highest share of stories about people being harmed since 2 October 2017. In Costa Rica, 81% of the news was about people being harmed, where 19% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 27 in every 100 of the day's 99,931 stories, above the usual 22. Mentions of flooding ran about 9 times their usual in Trinidad & Tobago's news. Over December, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 22 in December 2016.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where it happened

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Waiheke Island, New Zealand -- protests & strikes: 23 stories, carried by 56 outlets; harsh wording in 91 in 100Terrigal, Australia -- accidents & disasters: 72 stories, carried by 50 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Lahore, Pakistan -- attacks & violence: 84 stories, carried by 52 outlets; harsh wording in 95 in 100Toronto, Canada -- accidents & disasters: 126 stories, carried by 102 outlets; harsh wording in 72 in 100Borneo, Indonesia -- accidents & disasters: 73 stories, carried by 54 outlets; harsh wording in 95 in 100Kabul, Afghanistan -- attacks & violence: 70 stories, carried by 65 outlets; harsh wording in 91 in 100Acayucan, Mexico -- attacks & violence: 60 stories, carried by 62 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Acapulco, Mexico -- accidents & disasters: 54 stories, carried by 69 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Beijing, China -- protests & strikes: 131 stories, carried by 95 outlets; harsh wording in 91 in 100Hampshire, UK -- accidents & disasters: 12 stories, carried by 70 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Tarakan, Indonesia -- accidents & disasters: 50 stories, carried by 72 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Hodeida, Yemen -- attacks & violence: 65 stories, carried by 77 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Merseyside, UK -- accidents & disasters: 82 stories, carried by 189 outlets; harsh wording in 93 in 100Raqqa, Syria -- attacks & violence: 15 stories, carried by 77 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Jerusalem, Israel -- protests & strikes: 313 stories, carried by 177 outlets; harsh wording in 93 in 100Cairo, Egypt -- attacks & violence: 158 stories, carried by 130 outlets; harsh wording in 96 in 100Damascus, Syria -- protests & strikes: 223 stories, carried by 173 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Sydney, Australia -- deaths, cause not given: 606 stories, carried by 604 outlets; harsh wording in 84 in 100Las Vegas, US -- attacks & violence: 518 stories, carried by 428 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Izeh, Iran -- protests & strikes: 304 stories, carried by 391 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Islamabad, Pakistan -- attacks & violence: 709 stories, carried by 630 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Denver, US -- attacks & violence: 910 stories, carried by 1,092 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100Punta Islita, Costa Rica -- accidents & disasters: 690 stories, carried by 896 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Tehran, Iran -- protests & strikes: 1,127 stories, carried by 870 outlets; harsh wording in 99 in 100
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks

The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.

The day in three measures

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than 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?

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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.