← 30 Nov Sunday 1 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 2 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
11,661 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 Tsim Sha Tsui (Hong Kong), wildfires in Brazil and deaths in Tunis drew the news. the UK's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the UK and the US → Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about three times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostMalta 68 in 100 of its 188 stories, usually 30
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 35 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
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

Hong Kong

142 of its 224 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Tsim Sha Tsui accounted for 106 of Hong Kong's 142 stories about harm, carried by 325 outlets. 106 of Tsim Sha Tsui's 106 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (59 stories). Landslides were named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Brazil

90 of its 202 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (5 stories). Wildfires were named in 28 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Tunisia

32 of its 62 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Tunis accounted for 25 of Tunisia's 32 stories about harm, carried by 53 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

UK

1,160 of its 4,104 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (378 stories). Typhoon was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Malta

127 of its 188 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Valletta accounted for 95 of Malta's 127 stories about harm, carried by 315 outlets. 66 of Valletta's 95 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (38 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.

Protests & strikes

Iraq

188 of its 257 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Baghdad accounted for 126 of Iraq's 188 stories about harm, carried by 440 outlets. 120 of Baghdad's 126 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Namibia

30 of its 70 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Drought was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Mexico

184 of its 327 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (50 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Conflict & violence

Netherlands

57 of its 156 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Rights & justice

South Africa

141 of its 370 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Also named far more than usual: typhoon in Philippines (32 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drought in Namibia (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in Bangladesh (17 of its stories, about three times its usual); snowstorms in US (402 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); house fires in Canada (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 20 the day before
21 in 10016 in 1002 Nov9 Nov16 Nov23 Nov1 Dec2 Nov: 18 in 1003 Nov: 18 in 1004 Nov: 16 in 1005 Nov: 16 in 1006 Nov: 16 in 1007 Nov: 16 in 1008 Nov: 16 in 1009 Nov: 17 in 10010 Nov: 18 in 10011 Nov: 17 in 10012 Nov: 17 in 10013 Nov: 17 in 10014 Nov: 17 in 10015 Nov: 17 in 10016 Nov: 18 in 10017 Nov: 18 in 10018 Nov: 17 in 10019 Nov: 17 in 10020 Nov: 16 in 10021 Nov: 16 in 10022 Nov: 16 in 10023 Nov: 17 in 10024 Nov: 19 in 10025 Nov: 17 in 10026 Nov: 18 in 10027 Nov: 18 in 10028 Nov: 18 in 10029 Nov: 17 in 10030 Nov: 20 in 1001 Dec: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 1 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 11,661 stories about harm among 55,906 counted on 1 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

It was the highest share of stories about people being harmed since 21 September 2019. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about three times the usual rate. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the UK and the US. 21 in every 100 of the day's 55,906 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 17. This week the news turned most often to Congo, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 3 of them. Over November, 17 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 in November 2018.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where it happened

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Jerusalem, Israel -- attacks & violence: 60 stories, carried by 51 outlets; harsh wording in 88 in 100Kuenga, Russia -- accidents & disasters: 13 stories, carried by 28 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Lampedusa, Italy -- accidents & disasters: 6 stories, carried by 34 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Cambridge, UK -- attacks & violence: 83 stories, carried by 79 outlets; harsh wording in 83 in 100Tunis, Tunisia -- deaths, cause not given: 25 stories, carried by 53 outlets; harsh wording in 96 in 100Brasilia, Brazil -- accidents & disasters: 17 stories, carried by 108 outlets; harsh wording in 41 in 100Algiers, Algeria -- protests & strikes: 10 stories, carried by 45 outlets; harsh wording in 90 in 100Beijing, China -- protests & strikes: 65 stories, carried by 61 outlets; harsh wording in 94 in 100Tehran, Iran -- protests & strikes: 42 stories, carried by 45 outlets; harsh wording in 98 in 100Dundalk, Ireland -- attacks & violence: 9 stories, carried by 71 outlets; harsh wording in 78 in 100Pennfield, Canada -- accidents & disasters: 7 stories, carried by 47 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Moscow, Russia -- accidents & disasters: 40 stories, carried by 99 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Santiago, Chile -- protests & strikes: 7 stories, carried by 67 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Williams Lake, Canada -- accidents & disasters: 7 stories, carried by 73 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Durres, Albania -- accidents & disasters: 24 stories, carried by 90 outlets; harsh wording in 96 in 100Villa Union, Mexico -- attacks & violence: 55 stories, carried by 93 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Dublin, Ireland -- attacks & violence: 89 stories, carried by 219 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Phoenix, US -- accidents & disasters: 37 stories, carried by 247 outlets; harsh wording in 86 in 100Valletta, Malta -- protests & strikes: 95 stories, carried by 315 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong -- protests & strikes: 106 stories, carried by 325 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Coahuila, Mexico -- attacks & violence: 77 stories, carried by 423 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Baghdad, Iraq -- protests & strikes: 126 stories, carried by 440 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100London, UK -- attacks & violence: 639 stories, carried by 746 outlets; harsh wording in 96 in 100Sioux Falls, US -- accidents & disasters: 87 stories, carried by 624 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks

The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.

The day in three measures

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?

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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.