← 11 Dec Wednesday 12 December 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 13 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
35,599 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 violence in Paris, the avalanche in Guatemala and protests in Baghdad (Iraq). Guatemala's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostBolivia 77 in 100 of its 78 stories, usually 16
RegionCentral Asia 22 in 100 of its stories, usually 16
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 →
Conflict & violence

France

2,287 of its 4,014 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Paris accounted for 1,286 of France's 2,287 stories about harm, carried by 1,158 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

France over 30 days → its stories → Paris stories →
Disasters & accidents

Guatemala

79 of its 100 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (73 stories). Avalanche was named in 25 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Guatemala over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

204 of its 309 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. 80 of Baghdad's 105 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (47 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Iraq over 30 days → its stories → Baghdad stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Chad

23 of its 61 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

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

Myanmar

110 of its 170 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Yangon accounted for 83 of Myanmar's 110 stories about harm, carried by 70 outlets. 65 of Yangon's 83 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (56 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Japan

395 of its 1,529 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. 135 of Tokyo's 235 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (46 stories). Power cuts were named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

993 of its 1,333 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Ramallah accounted for 894 of Palestine's 993 stories about harm, carried by 47 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (349 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Brazil

233 of its 571 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (148 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Latvia

16 of its 52 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. 10 of Riga's 13 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

DR Congo

23 of its 30 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. 6 of Kalemie's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drought in Somalia (19 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); drought in Poland (21 of its stories, about three times its usual); cyclone in Australia (126 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); ebola in Uganda (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); outbreaks in Egypt (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 19 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10013 Nov20 Nov27 Nov4 Dec12 Dec13 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 10012 Dec: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 35,599 stories about harm among 193,981 counted on 12 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of the drought ran about 10 times their usual in Somalia's news. of the day's 193,981 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 20. France stood out: 57% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 28%. On 12 December 2017, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 18 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Guatemala79 in 100 of its 100 stories · usually 64 · mostly disasters & accidents Bolivia77 in 100 of its 78 stories · usually 16 · mostly health Syria76 in 100 of its 264 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine74 in 100 of its 1,333 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence Congo68 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 71 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Ramallah Palestine411 stories about protests or strikes, of its 894 Paris France328 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1286 Washington US185 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1501 Jerusalem Israel145 stories about protests or strikes, of its 371 Tokyo Japan135 stories about protests or strikes, of its 235

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 lessVenezuela: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: 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: too little coverage to readPanama: 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 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 lessMorocco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: 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 lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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 lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: too little coverage to readGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican 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: 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: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: too little coverage to readChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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 lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: 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: too little coverage to readAustria: 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 lessArgentina: 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 lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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 lessBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish 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 readMaldives: 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: 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 readUkraine: warmth about its own usualTanzania: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualMozambique: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualIndia: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualChad: warmth about its own usualBolivia: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAntigua & Barbuda: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 60 stories, carried by 55 outletsMontana, US -- disasters & accidents: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsConcordia Lutheran Church, US -- displacement: 17 stories, carried by 17 outletsBengaluru, India -- health: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- rights & justice: 105 stories, carried by 107 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- health: 40 stories, carried by 25 outletsSopore, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 10 outletsAstana, Kazakhstan -- health: 11 stories, carried by 15 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

● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual ● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Mozambique warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Kabul Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 60 stories ● Montana US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 12 stories ● Concordia Lutheran Church US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 17 stories ● Bengaluru India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Baghdad Iraq about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 105 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice30% 10,614 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence21% 7,325 stories · more than usual (usually 18%) Health19% 6,788 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 5,398 stories · less than usual (usually 19%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,971 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,092 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 994 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 760 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 killed10,663 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests5,255 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured4,153 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,963 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting refugees337 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting people displaced257 at about half the usual rate · most about Iraq and the US Stories reporting abductions248 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations154 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people falling ill40 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Italy

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
● Feara little more than 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.