← 20 Dec Saturday 21 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,048 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 →

A disaster in Sydney, protests in Delhi (India) and violence in Tegucigalpa drew the news. India's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 34 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostAustralia 38 in 100 of its 1,238 stories, usually 21
RegionCentral Asia 31 in 100 of its stories, usually 14
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Australia

471 of its 1,238 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Sydney accounted for 236 of Australia's 471 stories about harm, carried by 573 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (47 stories). Road crashes were named in 39 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with heatstroke.

Australia over 30 days → its stories → Sydney stories →
Protests & strikes

India

1,545 of its 4,379 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 442 of Delhi's 518 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (547 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

India over 30 days → its stories → Delhi stories →
Conflict & violence

Honduras

18 of its 25 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Tegucigalpa accounted for 12 of Honduras' 18 stories about harm, carried by 72 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Honduras over 30 days → its stories → Tegucigalpa stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Guatemala

21 of its 26 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Hong Kong

40 of its 74 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Yuen Long accounted for 21 of Hong Kong's 40 stories about harm, carried by 50 outlets. 21 of Yuen Long's 21 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

18 of its 22 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Portugal

14 of its 55 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 9%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Rwanda

14 of its 22 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. 4 of Mataba's 8 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Jordan

Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories). Heatstroke was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with poisoning. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iraq

9 of Baghdad's 10 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: heatstroke in Jordan (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); helicopter crash in France (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Spain (13 of its stories, about three times its usual); illness in Lebanon (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); heavy rain in UK (56 of its stories, about three times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 17 the day before
21 in 10016 in 10022 Nov29 Nov6 Dec13 Dec21 Dec22 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 10018 Dec: 17 in 10019 Dec: 17 in 10020 Dec: 17 in 10021 Dec: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 12,048 stories about harm among 62,231 counted on 21 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Jordan's news mentioned the heatstroke more than ten times as often as usual. Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about twice the usual rate. In Australia, 38% of the news was about people being harmed, where 21% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 62,231 stories, above the usual 18.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria63 in 100 of its 195 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Hong Kong54 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 37 · mostly rights & justice Iraq52 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan50 in 100 of its 135 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia41 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 36 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India442 stories about protests or strikes, of its 518 Lucknow India62 stories about protests or strikes, of its 75 Washington US59 stories about protests or strikes, of its 331 Sydney Australia54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 236 Mangaluru India54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 73

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 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 lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.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: too little coverage to readIsle 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorway: 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 readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: too little coverage to readMali: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: 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 lessItaly: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: too little coverage to readGermany: 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 lessFrance: 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: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR 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: 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: too little coverage to readBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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: 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 readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk 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 readSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualHonduras: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualMinneapolis, US -- shelter & services: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsVirginia, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 21 outletsNottingham, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 36 stories, carried by 20 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 19 stories, carried by 18 outletsMoscow, Russia -- rights & justice: 82 stories, carried by 74 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 59 outletsDurban, South Africa -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 18 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

● Minneapolis US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · shelter & services · 12 stories ● Virginia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Nottingham UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 36 stories ● Edinburgh UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice34% 4,091 stories · more than usual (usually 32%) Health21% 2,471 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents19% 2,241 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence12% 1,375 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 658 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 477 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 284 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 272 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 killed3,616 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,822 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting people affected1,368 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured934 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions195 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting refugees176 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced157 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting evacuations97 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Malaysia Stories reporting people falling ill14 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Israel

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 harsher 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

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.