← 14 Dec Saturday 15 December 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 16 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,015 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 protests in Paris (France), violence in Pulwama and abductions in Russia. Kashmir's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostKashmir 70 in 100 of its 387 stories, usually 37
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 35 in 100 of its stories, usually 28
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

France

976 of its 1,953 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Paris accounted for 837 of France's 976 stories about harm, carried by 690 outlets. 797 of Paris' 837 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (616 stories). Extreme cold was named in 70 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with hunger, flu and plague. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

France over 30 days → its stories → Paris stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

269 of its 387 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Pulwama accounted for 176 of Kashmir's 269 stories about harm, carried by 67 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (101 stories). Snowstorms were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with landslides. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Warmth in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Kashmir over 30 days → its stories → Pulwama stories →
Rights & justice

Russia

332 of its 1,190 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Russia over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

UK

1,053 of its 4,935 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (20 stories). Snowstorms were named in 121 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with house fires.

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

South Sudan

101 of its 108 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Bentiu accounted for 87 of South Sudan's 101 stories about harm, carried by 94 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 10 times the usual rate (90 stories). Its coverage was about twice as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Somalia

229 of its 283 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Baidoa accounted for 124 of Somalia's 229 stories about harm, carried by 110 outlets. 120 of Baidoa's 124 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (130 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

1,017 of its 1,467 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Ramallah accounted for 912 of Palestine's 1,017 stories about harm, carried by 173 outlets. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

105 of its 147 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Ethiopia

83 of its 179 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (25 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

40 of its 50 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. 24 of Managua's 31 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Australia (125 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); wildfires in Greece (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Israel (67 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); poisoning in India (140 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); power cuts in Ireland (24 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 19 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10016 Nov23 Nov30 Nov7 Dec15 Dec16 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 10013 Dec: 18 in 10014 Dec: 19 in 10015 Dec: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 15 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 22,015 stories about harm among 111,216 counted on 15 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

It was the second day running that the news turned to France. of the day's 111,216 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. France stood out: 50% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 32%. A year earlier, on 15 December 2017, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

South Sudan94 in 100 of its 108 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia81 in 100 of its 283 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Nicaragua80 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 62 · mostly rights & justice Iraq71 in 100 of its 147 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir70 in 100 of its 387 stories · usually 37 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Paris France797 stories about protests or strikes, of its 837 Ramallah Palestine204 stories about protests or strikes, of its 912 Washington US133 stories about protests or strikes, of its 911 Baidoa Somalia120 stories about protests or strikes, of its 124 Indianapolis US102 stories about protests or strikes, of its 113

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto 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 lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: too little coverage to readSyria: 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 readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: too little coverage to readSouth Africa: 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua 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 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: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: too little coverage to readMali: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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 lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: 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 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 readSt 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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 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: 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 lessChile: 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 lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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 lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 lessAfghanistan: 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): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: 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: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: too little coverage to readBermuda: 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: too little coverage to readSan 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualYemen: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about twice its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about one and a half times its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBentiu, South Sudan -- conflict & violence: 87 stories, carried by 94 outletsStephenville Crossing, Canada -- other: 11 stories, carried by 38 outletsSinjar, Iraq -- rights & justice: 38 stories, carried by 32 outletsMitrovica, -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 18 outletsTonganoxie, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 12 stories, carried by 14 outletsLake Chad, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 27 stories, carried by 24 outletsBaidoa, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 124 stories, carried by 110 outletsNevada, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 56 stories, carried by 62 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

● South Sudan warmth about twice usual ● Somalia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Kashmir warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iraq warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Bentiu South Sudan about three times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 87 stories ● Stephenville Crossing Canada about twice as warm as the day's news · other · 11 stories ● Sinjar Iraq about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 38 stories ● Mitrovica about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 19 stories ● Tonganoxie US about twice as warm as the day's news · deaths & injuries, cause not given · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 6,124 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence22% 4,760 stories · more than usual (usually 18%) Health21% 4,529 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 3,512 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 956 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 633 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 602 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 395 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 killed6,647 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,215 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting people affected2,112 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,954 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced259 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees231 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Palestine and the US Stories reporting evacuations156 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting abductions152 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting people falling ill44 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
● 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.