← 4 Dec Thursday 5 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,378 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 →

Drownings in Mauritania, illness in Apia and protests in Tehran (Iran) drew the news. Samoa's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMauritania 94 in 100 of its 80 stories, usually 28
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 28 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Mauritania

75 of its 80 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Nouadhibou accounted for 56 of Mauritania's 75 stories about harm, carried by 209 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (71 stories). Drownings were named in 33 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Mauritania over 30 days → its stories → Nouadhibou stories →
Health

Samoa

109 of its 127 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 71%. Apia accounted for 50 of Samoa's 109 stories about harm, carried by 194 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Samoa over 30 days → its stories → Apia stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Burundi

24 of its 28 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (10 stories). Landslides were named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Poland

42 of its 149 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories). Gas explosion was named in 23 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sudan

74 of its 121 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Khartoum accounted for 42 of Sudan's 74 stories about harm, carried by 42 outlets. 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.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

21 of Baghdad's 30 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Gambia

34 of its 61 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (19 stories).

its stories →
Health

Denmark

35 of its 136 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: gas explosion in Poland (23 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Burundi (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hypothermia in Spain (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Uganda (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); flooding in Malaysia (16 of its stories, about three times its usual).

17 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 16 the day before
21 in 10016 in 1006 Nov13 Nov20 Nov27 Nov5 Dec6 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 1002 Dec: 18 in 1003 Dec: 17 in 1004 Dec: 16 in 1005 Dec: 17 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 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 20,378 stories about harm among 122,472 counted on 5 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

In Mauritania, 94% of the news was about people being harmed, where 28% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 17 in every 100 of the day's 122,472 stories, as usual. Mentions of drownings ran more than ten times their usual in Mauritania's news. On 5 December 2018, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 17 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Mauritania94 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 28 · mostly disasters & accidents Samoa86 in 100 of its 127 stories · usually 71 · mostly health Sudan61 in 100 of its 121 stories · usually 53 · mostly disasters & accidents Gambia56 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 32 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria54 in 100 of its 171 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US114 stories about protests or strikes, of its 509 Paris France110 stories about protests or strikes, of its 155 Tehran Iran75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 113 London UK65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 333 Beijing China44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 99

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sVietnam: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: feelings about like the world'sU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth 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 Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomalia: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: feelings about like the world'sMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: too little coverage to readMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLibya: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sIsrael: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: feelings about like the world'sGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: feelings about like the world'sGreece: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readSt 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 readFinland: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCameroon: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelgium: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBangladesh: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: feelings about like the world'sArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: feelings about like the world'sAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Free Zone): feelings about like the world'sVatican City: feelings about like the world'sMarshall Islands: feelings about like the world'sNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: feelings about like the world'sChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readBermuda: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: feelings about like the world'sJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: feelings about like the world'sMonaco: feelings about like the world'sMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: feelings about like the world'sNorfolk 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 readZambia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sYemen: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sVenezuela: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUganda: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTogo: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sSweden: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSudan: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSamoa: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sRwanda: coverage a little warmer than the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sQatar: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPortugal: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPoland: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPhilippines: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNorth Korea: coverage a little angrier than the world'sNigeria: coverage a little angrier than the world'sNiger: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNetherlands: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMozambique: coverage a little warmer than the world'sMexico: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMauritania: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMalta: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sMali: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMalawi: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNorth Macedonia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sLithuania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLebanon: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKenya: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sJapan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sJamaica: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little warmer than the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sIndia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sHonduras: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sHaiti: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGuyana: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGermany: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGambia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sFrance: coverage a little angrier than the world'sFiji: coverage a little warmer than the world'sEthiopia: coverage a little warmer than the world'sEgypt: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sDenmark: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sDR Congo: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sCongo: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sColombia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sChina: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sHong Kong: coverage a little angrier than the world'sChile: coverage a little angrier than the world'sChad: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCentral African Republic: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCanada: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMyanmar: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBurundi: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBurkina Faso: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBolivia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAustria: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAustralia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sChina: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPalestine: coverage a little warmer than the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage a little warmer than the world'sKashmir: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAnguilla: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Iran about twice as angry as the world's · 221 stories about harm ● Türkiye about twice as fearful as the world's · 145 stories about harm ● Samoa about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 109 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 109 stories about harm ● Iraq about one and a half times as angry as the world's · 71 stories about harm ● Syria about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 93 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice31% 6,195 stories · about as usual Health26% 5,118 stories · more than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents16% 3,261 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 2,391 stories · less than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 1,058 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 819 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 717 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 437 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 killed4,820 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,604 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,226 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,130 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees251 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions212 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced200 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations115 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Greece Stories reporting people falling ill46 at about the usual rate

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
● 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.