← 15 Dec Sunday 16 December 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
17,805 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 rights and justice in Paris, illness in Porto and protests in Pulwama (Kashmir). Kashmir's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostPortugal 57 in 100 of its 187 stories, usually 14
RegionEast Asia 24 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
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 →
Conflict & violence

France

852 of its 1,775 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Paris accounted for 699 of France's 852 stories about harm, carried by 514 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (689 stories). Extreme cold was named in 63 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with volcanic eruption and flu. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

France over 30 days → its stories → Paris stories →
Health

Portugal

106 of its 187 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Porto accounted for 90 of Portugal's 106 stories about harm, carried by 86 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (101 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Portugal over 30 days → its stories → Porto stories →
Protests & strikes

Kashmir

144 of its 248 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. 42 of Pulwama's 79 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (54 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Kashmir over 30 days → its stories → Pulwama stories →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

242 of its 351 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Volcanic eruption was named in 159 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.

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

Rwanda

70 of its 83 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Kigali accounted for 49 of Rwanda's 70 stories about harm, carried by 49 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (59 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

61 of its 68 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Managua accounted for 54 of Nicaragua's 61 stories about harm, carried by 41 outlets. 33 of Managua's 54 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (25 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

South Africa

162 of its 470 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 46 of Johannesburg's 65 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (19 stories). Flooding was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Spain

117 of its 529 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. 40 of Barcelona's 43 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (50 stories). Illness was named in 36 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Switzerland

94 of its 202 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (86 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Hungary

80 of its 224 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. 70 of Budapest's 71 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (49 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Spain (36 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); cyclone in Australia (106 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); tsunami in Vanuatu (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heavy rain in UK (112 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); illness in Malaysia (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 20 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10017 Nov24 Nov1 Dec8 Dec16 Dec17 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 10016 Dec: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 17,805 stories about harm among 94,481 counted on 16 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

In Indonesia's news, mentions of volcanic eruption ran more than ten times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 94,481 stories, as usual. It was the third day running that the news turned to France. On 16 December 2017, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 19 today. France stood out: 48% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 33%. This week the news turned most often to France, on 5 of 7 days.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Nicaragua90 in 100 of its 68 stories · usually 64 · mostly rights & justice Rwanda84 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 45 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen78 in 100 of its 271 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia77 in 100 of its 135 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan70 in 100 of its 332 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Paris France327 stories about protests or strikes, of its 699 Washington US100 stories about protests or strikes, of its 385 Boston US79 stories about protests or strikes, of its 254 Afrin Syria76 stories about protests or strikes, of its 115 Budapest Hungary70 stories about protests or strikes, of its 71

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: 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: 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 readSlovakia: 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: 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 lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: too little coverage to readParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: 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: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: too little coverage to readJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 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: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: too little coverage to readHong 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 lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: too little coverage to readBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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 readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: 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: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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 lessArgentina: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & 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 lessUS: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTürkiye: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualFinland: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPalestine: warmth about one and a half times its own usualStephenville Crossing, Canada -- other: 15 stories, carried by 22 outletsSinjar, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 19 outletsScott County, US -- health: 40 stories, carried by 37 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 52 stories, carried by 124 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 44 outletsNew York, US -- conflict & violence: 358 stories, carried by 387 outletsChongqing, China -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 41 stories, carried by 124 outletsAdelaide, Australia -- rights & justice: 29 stories, carried by 33 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

● New Zealand warmth about one and a half times usual ● Belgium warmth about one and a half times usual ● Palestine warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Stephenville Crossing Canada about three times as warm as the day's news · other · 15 stories ● Sinjar Iraq about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 21 stories ● Scott County US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 40 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 52 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 18 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 4,767 stories · less than usual (usually 29%) Conflict & violence24% 4,174 stories · much more than usual (usually 18%) Health18% 3,180 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 2,747 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given8% 1,352 stories · more than usual (usually 6%) Shelter & services3% 534 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 451 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 302 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 killed5,988 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,661 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,260 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about France and Japan Stories reporting people affected1,611 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Palestine Stories reporting refugees346 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced137 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations134 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Palestine and the US Stories reporting abductions99 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill19 at less than a quarter of 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.

● 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?

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.