← 5 Dec Friday 6 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 7 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,704 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 gas explosion in Slovakia, illness in Apia and abductions in India. India's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 35 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostIndia 30 in 100 of its 5,785 stories, usually 17
RegionSouth Asia 29 in 100 of its stories, usually 21
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Slovakia

24 of its 42 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Presov accounted for 20 of Slovakia's 24 stories about harm, carried by 110 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (8 stories). Gas explosion was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Slovakia over 30 days → its stories → Presov stories →
Health

Samoa

99 of its 111 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 72%. Apia accounted for 40 of Samoa's 99 stories about harm, carried by 77 outlets. Ebola was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Samoa over 30 days → its stories → Apia stories →
Rights & justice

India

1,707 of its 5,785 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (92 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

India over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

141 of its 549 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Gambia

34 of its 73 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Germany

156 of its 703 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (88 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iran

Tehran accounted for 89 of Iran's 172 stories about harm, carried by 226 outlets. 62 of Tehran's 89 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 80 of Iraq's 137 stories about harm, carried by 241 outlets. 72 of Baghdad's 80 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

UK

Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (37 stories). Earthquake was named in 26 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with measles, tuberculosis and ebola. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mauritania

27 of its 28 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Nouadhibou accounted for 22 of Mauritania's 27 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hypothermia in Spain (45 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); building collapse in Kenya (30 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Ireland (36 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Uganda (12 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); heavy rain in Japan (12 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 17 the day before
21 in 10016 in 1007 Nov14 Nov21 Nov28 Nov6 Dec7 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 1006 Dec: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 6 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 20,704 stories about harm among 115,688 counted on 6 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Slovakia's news mentioned gas explosion more than ten times as often as usual. 18 in every 100 of the day's 115,688 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Slovakia, 57% of the news was about people being harmed, where 20% is usual. A year earlier, on 6 December 2018, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Samoa89 in 100 of its 111 stories · usually 72 · mostly health Sudan69 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq65 in 100 of its 211 stories · usually 64 · mostly rights & justice Syria64 in 100 of its 116 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan52 in 100 of its 176 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Hyderabad India181 stories about protests or strikes, of its 620 Washington US170 stories about protests or strikes, of its 687 Paris France98 stories about protests or strikes, of its 142 Abuja Nigeria76 stories about protests or strikes, of its 110 Baghdad Iraq72 stories about protests or strikes, of its 80

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: too little coverage to readZambia: 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 readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: 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 Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: too little coverage to readSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: 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 lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua 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 lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: too little coverage to readNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: 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 lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: 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 lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: too little coverage to readIraq: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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 lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: 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: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos 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: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSyria: warmth about its own usualPhilippines: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualMauritius: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualChad: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualRochester, US -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 119 outletsNiger Delta, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsPattaya, Thailand -- displacement: 10 stories, carried by 30 outletsIbadan, Nigeria -- health: 20 stories, carried by 14 outletsStockholm, Sweden -- health: 21 stories, carried by 24 outletsStearns County, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 65 stories, carried by 325 outletsJalalabad, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 39 stories, carried by 43 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Rochester US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 24 stories ● Niger Delta Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Pattaya Thailand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 10 stories ● Ibadan Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Stockholm Sweden about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice35% 7,120 stories · more than usual (usually 31%) Health22% 4,492 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 3,021 stories · less than usual (usually 18%) Conflict & violence13% 2,543 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,255 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 801 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 645 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 459 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 killed6,522 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests2,800 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,135 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,411 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions297 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting refugees215 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced148 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations122 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia Stories reporting people falling ill45 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 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

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.