← 17 Dec Tuesday 18 December 2018 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
33,001 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 →

Protests in Harare (Zimbabwe), people injured in Brazil and arrests in Morocco drew the news. Morocco's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMorocco 67 in 100 of its 248 stories, usually 23
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 26 in 100 of its stories, usually 23
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Zimbabwe

238 of its 489 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Harare accounted for 173 of Zimbabwe's 238 stories about harm, carried by 136 outlets. 130 of Harare's 173 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (39 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Zimbabwe over 30 days → its stories → Harare stories →
Disasters & accidents

Brazil

128 of its 379 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (44 stories). Outbreaks were named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with flooding. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Brazil over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Morocco

165 of its 248 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (101 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Uruguay

8 of its 24 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

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

Cameroon

50 of its 84 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Yaounde accounted for 37 of Cameroon's 50 stories about harm, carried by 42 outlets. 34 of Yaounde's 37 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Spain

168 of its 801 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. 55 of Madrid's 62 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (96 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

54 of its 65 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. 4 of Managua's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (43 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Hungary

25 of Budapest's 37 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (13 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Saudi Arabia

79 of Riyadh's 124 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

North Korea

117 of its 273 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (33 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Romania (50 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in Vietnam (33 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Madagascar (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in China (53 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drought in Iran (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 18 the day before
23 in 10017 in 10019 Nov26 Nov3 Dec10 Dec18 Dec19 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 10017 Dec: 18 in 10018 Dec: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 33,001 stories about harm among 183,706 counted on 18 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of outbreaks ran more than ten times their usual in Romania's news. of the day's 183,706 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 19. A year earlier, on 18 December 2017, 22 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today. Zimbabwe's news was 49% about people being harmed, against a usual 28%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Nicaragua83 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice Yemen69 in 100 of its 497 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia67 in 100 of its 168 stories · usually 70 · mostly conflict & violence Morocco67 in 100 of its 248 stories · usually 23 · mostly rights & justice Syria66 in 100 of its 314 stories · usually 72 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

New York US247 stories about protests or strikes, of its 553 Washington US241 stories about protests or strikes, of its 2038 Hollywood US175 stories about protests or strikes, of its 700 Harare Zimbabwe130 stories about protests or strikes, of its 173 Fort Bragg US111 stories about protests or strikes, of its 120

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.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 lessUganda: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: 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: too little coverage to readRomania: 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua 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 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: 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: 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 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 lessIreland: 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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 lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: too little coverage to readChile: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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: 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 lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: 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 lessMarshall 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readUruguay: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualMalta: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about one and a half times its own usualHaiti: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualBelize: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualVatican City: warmth about its own usualFort Bragg, US -- health: 120 stories, carried by 131 outletsSelsey, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsChabahar, Iran -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 13 outletsGwangju, South Korea -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 19 outletsFranklin County, US -- health: 58 stories, carried by 142 outletsSabarimala, India -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 16 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 13 outletsAyodhya, India -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 12 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

● Syria warmth about one and a half times usual ● Iran warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Fort Bragg US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 120 stories ● Selsey UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Chabahar Iran about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 15 stories ● Gwangju South Korea about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories ● Franklin County US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 58 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice31% 9,863 stories · about as usual Health21% 6,917 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 5,641 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 4,191 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,925 stories · about as usual Shelter & services6% 1,920 stories · more than usual (usually 3%) Food & livelihood3% 912 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 899 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 killed9,184 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests4,545 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected4,030 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured2,006 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting refugees596 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions296 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced225 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations144 at about half the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting people falling ill63 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Mexico

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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less 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.