← 10 Dec Tuesday 11 December 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 12 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
35,582 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 rights and justice in Pyongyang, arrests in Saudi Arabia and flooding in Nepal. Saudi Arabia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 33 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostNorth Korea 63 in 100 of its 167 stories, usually 14
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 22
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 →
Rights & justice

North Korea

105 of its 167 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Pyongyang accounted for 67 of North Korea's 105 stories about harm, carried by 132 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

North Korea over 30 days → its stories → Pyongyang stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

509 of its 940 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (205 stories). Avalanche was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with storm surge. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Saudi Arabia over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Nepal

80 of its 181 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Flooding was named in 19 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Nepal over 30 days → its stories →
Shelter & services

Bulgaria

37 of its 134 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Bulgaria over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Argentina

160 of its 280 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Buenos Aires accounted for 149 of Argentina's 160 stories about harm, carried by 128 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (17 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Brazil

309 of its 598 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (190 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Japan

635 of its 1,923 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (114 stories). Rubella was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Sweden

108 of its 325 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of arrests ran at about 10 times the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

996 of its 1,781 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Ramallah accounted for 868 of Palestine's 996 stories about harm, carried by 195 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (466 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Mexico

426 of its 1,362 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. 174 of Tijuana's 291 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (32 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Australia (160 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); snowstorms in Chile (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Italy (21 of its stories, about three times its usual); flu in Denmark (10 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); hunger in Somalia (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 18 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10012 Nov19 Nov26 Nov3 Dec11 Dec12 Nov: 20 in 10013 Nov: 19 in 10014 Nov: 19 in 10015 Nov: 20 in 10016 Nov: 20 in 10017 Nov: 22 in 10018 Nov: 23 in 10019 Nov: 20 in 10020 Nov: 20 in 10021 Nov: 20 in 10022 Nov: 20 in 10023 Nov: 20 in 10024 Nov: 21 in 10025 Nov: 22 in 10026 Nov: 21 in 10027 Nov: 19 in 10028 Nov: 19 in 10029 Nov: 19 in 10030 Nov: 19 in 1001 Dec: 23 in 1002 Dec: 19 in 1003 Dec: 17 in 1004 Dec: 18 in 1005 Dec: 18 in 1006 Dec: 19 in 1007 Dec: 18 in 1008 Dec: 19 in 1009 Dec: 19 in 10010 Dec: 18 in 10011 Dec: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 11 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 35,582 stories about harm among 189,228 counted on 11 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

North Korea stood out: 63% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 14%. 19 in every 100 of the day's 189,228 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. For the second day running, the news turned to North Korea. A year earlier, on 11 December 2017, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria76 in 100 of its 300 stories · usually 72 · mostly displacement Yemen74 in 100 of its 369 stories · usually 77 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan64 in 100 of its 335 stories · usually 68 · mostly conflict & violence North Korea63 in 100 of its 167 stories · usually 14 · mostly rights & justice Congo62 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 71 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Charlottesville US384 stories about protests or strikes, of its 429 Paris France324 stories about protests or strikes, of its 603 New York US228 stories about protests or strikes, of its 440 Ramallah Palestine214 stories about protests or strikes, of its 868 Washington US207 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1378

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: 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 lessUkraine: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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 lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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 lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: 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 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 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 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 lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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 lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: 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 lessPalestine: too little coverage to readIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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 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: too little coverage to readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew 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 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: 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: 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 lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: 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 lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & 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 lessAlbania: 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): 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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 lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & 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 readUganda: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSlovakia: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNorth Korea: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualEcuador: warmth about its own usualDominican Republic: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualDohuk, Iraq -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 15 outletsRed Mountain, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 17 stories, carried by 17 outletsOslo, Norway -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 19 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 161 stories, carried by 162 outletsEl-Arish, Egypt -- conflict & violence: 42 stories, carried by 53 outletsTulsa, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 26 stories, carried by 26 outletsOsaka, Japan -- health: 21 stories, carried by 18 outletsMetulla, Israel -- conflict & violence: 53 stories, carried by 51 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

● Bulgaria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual ● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Dohuk Iraq about three times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories ● Red Mountain US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 17 stories ● Oslo Norway about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 19 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 161 stories ● El-Arish Egypt about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 42 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice33% 11,662 stories · much more than usual (usually 28%) Health19% 6,641 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence18% 6,310 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 5,419 stories · less than usual (usually 20%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,837 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,340 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 975 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 699 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 killed9,659 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,024 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,677 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,407 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Japan Stories reporting refugees597 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced334 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting abductions221 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting evacuations136 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people falling ill51 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Cuba

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.