← 12 Dec Friday 13 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 14 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
19,006 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 →

Violence in Niamey, a disaster in White Island and refugees in India drew the news. Iraq's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostArmenia 44 in 100 of its 186 stories, usually 17
RegionSouth Asia 30 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 →
Conflict & violence

Niger

39 of its 48 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Niamey accounted for 18 of Niger's 39 stories about harm, carried by 112 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Niger over 30 days → its stories → Niamey stories →
Disasters & accidents

New Zealand

390 of its 994 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. White Island accounted for 193 of New Zealand's 390 stories about harm, carried by 298 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (270 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

New Zealand over 30 days → its stories → White Island stories →
Rights & justice

India

1,586 of its 5,669 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of refugees ran at about 6 times the usual rate (67 stories). Snowstorms were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Bosnia

15 of its 20 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Pakistan

266 of its 795 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (103 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Armenia

81 of its 186 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

170 of its 409 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

South Sudan

31 of its 45 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Hunger was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Displacement

Guatemala

16 of its 26 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Trinidad & Tobago (12 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hunger in South Sudan (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Australia (47 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Mexico (13 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); landslides in UK (64 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

16 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 17 the day before
21 in 10016 in 10014 Nov21 Nov28 Nov5 Dec13 Dec14 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 1007 Dec: 20 in 1008 Dec: 19 in 1009 Dec: 18 in 10010 Dec: 18 in 10011 Dec: 18 in 10012 Dec: 17 in 10013 Dec: 16 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 13 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 19,006 stories about harm among 116,526 counted on 13 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

It was the second day running that the news turned to Niger. of the day's 116,526 news stories, 16 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 18. Trinidad & Tobago's news mentioned flooding about 5 times as often as usual. Niger's news was 81% about people being harmed, against a usual 43%. A year earlier, on 13 December 2018, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 16 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iraq68 in 100 of its 123 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 300 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan58 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 53 · mostly rights & justice Syria58 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Gambia51 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 50 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Guwahati India191 stories about protests or strikes, of its 220 Delhi India159 stories about protests or strikes, of its 355 Washington US105 stories about protests or strikes, of its 583 London UK64 stories about protests or strikes, of its 319 Baghdad Iraq52 stories about protests or strikes, of its 62

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 lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: 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: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: 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: too little coverage to readSomalia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPoland: 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: 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 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 lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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 lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: too little coverage to readMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: 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 readCuba: 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 lessHong 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: too little coverage to readCape 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 lessBangladesh: 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 readArgentina: 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 lessJammu & Kashmir: too little coverage to readAksai 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: too little coverage to readSiachen Glacier: too little coverage to readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: too little coverage to readVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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 readMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualArmenia: warmth about its own usualGibraltar: warmth about its own usualDayton, US -- disasters & accidents: 15 stories, carried by 10 outletsAyodhya, India -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 15 outletsArizona, US -- health: 21 stories, carried by 17 outletsSaskatchewan, Canada -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 32 outletsBagram, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 82 stories, carried by 118 outletsGlasgow, UK -- rights & justice: 34 stories, carried by 22 outletsBolsover, UK -- rights & justice: 35 stories, carried by 137 outletsMunich, Germany -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 13 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

● Dayton US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 15 stories ● Ayodhya India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Saskatchewan Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories ● Bagram Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 82 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 5,978 stories · about as usual Health23% 4,231 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents17% 3,150 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence13% 2,427 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,159 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 739 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 535 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 452 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 killed5,230 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,298 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,922 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,258 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees265 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions208 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced145 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations93 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and New Zealand Stories reporting people falling ill25 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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.

● 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

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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.