← 16 Dec Tuesday 17 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
19,997 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 Beirut (Lebanon), violence in Ankara and people affected in Ethiopia drew the news. Türkiye's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 32 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostEthiopia 59 in 100 of its 167 stories, usually 36
RegionCentral Asia 20 in 100 of its stories, usually 13
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 →
Protests & strikes

Lebanon

75 of its 174 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Beirut accounted for 58 of Lebanon's 75 stories about harm, carried by 122 outlets. 52 of Beirut's 58 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Lebanon over 30 days → its stories → Beirut stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

186 of its 446 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Ankara accounted for 84 of Türkiye's 186 stories about harm, carried by 107 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (37 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

India

1,795 of its 6,176 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. 613 of Delhi's 798 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (56 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 60 of Afghanistan's 172 stories about harm, carried by 188 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (27 stories). Drought was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Cuba

21 of its 68 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Havana accounted for 19 of Cuba's 21 stories about harm, carried by 32 outlets. 10 of Havana's 19 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (36 stories). Measles was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 36 of Iraq's 55 stories about harm, carried by 144 outlets. 19 of Baghdad's 36 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Food & livelihood

Argentina

32 of its 110 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Italy (35 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); earthquake in Dominican Republic (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); heatwave in Australia (76 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drought in Afghanistan (19 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); heavy rain in Malaysia (15 of its stories, about three times its usual).

17 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 17 the day before
21 in 10016 in 10018 Nov25 Nov2 Dec9 Dec17 Dec18 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 10014 Dec: 18 in 10015 Dec: 19 in 10016 Dec: 17 in 10017 Dec: 17 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 19,997 stories about harm among 115,023 counted on 17 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

For the third day running, the news turned to Lebanon. Stories about people being harmed made up 17 in every 100 of the day's 115,023 stories, as usual. Mentions of the earthquake ran about 4 times their usual in the Dominican Republic's news. In Lebanon, 43% of the news was about people being harmed, where 28% is usual. A year earlier, on 17 December 2018, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 17 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria62 in 100 of its 251 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan61 in 100 of its 280 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia59 in 100 of its 167 stories · usually 36 · mostly deaths & injuries, cause not given Sudan56 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Congo55 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 69 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India613 stories about protests or strikes, of its 798 Washington US88 stories about protests or strikes, of its 555 Kolkata India62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 75 Paris France61 stories about protests or strikes, of its 117 Beirut Lebanon52 stories about protests or strikes, of its 58

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: 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 lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: too little coverage to readSyria: 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 lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: 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 lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: 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 lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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: too little coverage to readGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech 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 readChina: 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: too little coverage to readCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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 readBotswana: 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: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 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: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualVanuatu: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualLibya: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualNebraska, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsSouth Dakota, US -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 15 outletsGuizhou, China -- disasters & accidents: 21 stories, carried by 46 outletsHarare, Zimbabwe -- food & livelihood: 28 stories, carried by 21 outletsMexico City, Mexico -- health: 14 stories, carried by 18 outletsLeighton Buzzard, UK -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 17 outletsSunshine Coast, Australia -- health: 13 stories, carried by 23 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- disasters & accidents: 35 stories, carried by 22 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

● Nebraska US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● South Dakota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 12 stories ● Guizhou China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 21 stories ● Harare Zimbabwe about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · food & livelihood · 28 stories ● Mexico City Mexico about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice32% 6,235 stories · about as usual Health23% 4,572 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents18% 3,487 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 2,286 stories · less than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,224 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 825 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 521 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 450 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 killed5,005 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,830 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,223 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,224 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees385 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting abductions312 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced124 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations77 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting people falling ill18 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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.