← 21 Dec Sunday 22 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
10,154 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 protests in Delhi (India), people killed in Australia and rights and justice in Tegucigalpa. Honduras' coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.

Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Syria → Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about three times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 31 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostUzbekistan 43 in 100 of its 53 stories, usually 12
RegionCentral Asia 38 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 →
Protests & strikes

India

1,253 of its 3,580 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 276 of Delhi's 382 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (510 stories). Landslides were named in 25 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 → Delhi stories →
Disasters & accidents

Australia

484 of its 1,347 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (201 stories). Heatstroke was named in 33 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Australia over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Honduras

16 of its 18 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Tegucigalpa accounted for 13 of Honduras' 16 stories about harm, carried by 24 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Honduras over 30 days → its stories → Tegucigalpa stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

131 of its 191 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Idlib accounted for 88 of Syria's 131 stories about harm, carried by 223 outlets. Flooding was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Peru

21 of its 40 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 7 of Lima's 11 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Guatemala

26 of its 29 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of people injured ran at about 10 times the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

15 of its 20 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of abductions ran at about 7 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

39 of its 54 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Romania

7 of its 22 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. 4 of Bucharest's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Sudan

Darfur accounted for 19 of Sudan's 36 stories about harm, carried by 38 outlets. 14 of Darfur's 19 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Spain (26 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); helicopter crash in France (18 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); avalanche in Canada (17 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); tornadoes in UK (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in US (30 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 19 the day before
21 in 10016 in 10023 Nov30 Nov7 Dec14 Dec22 Dec23 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 10022 Dec: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 10,154 stories about harm among 51,493 counted on 22 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

It was the fourth day running that the news turned to India. of the day's 51,493 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 18. Reports of volunteers, a sign of help, ran at about three times the usual rate. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Syria. In India, 35% of the news was about people being harmed, where 24% is usual. This week the news turned most often to India, on 4 of 7 days; help rose on 3 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia72 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Syria69 in 100 of its 191 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan64 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 58 · mostly rights & justice Iraq58 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 65 · mostly rights & justice Kashmir46 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 37 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India276 stories about protests or strikes, of its 382 Mangaluru India53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 69 Lucknow India50 stories about protests or strikes, of its 55 Xinjiang China42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 45 Sydney Australia35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 187

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: 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: too little coverage to readPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: too little coverage to readSão 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 lessPhilippines: 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 lessNorway: too little coverage to readNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: 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 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: 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: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta 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: 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: too little coverage to readBurundi: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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: too little coverage to readBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: too little coverage to readAustria: 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: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: too little coverage to readWest Bank: too little coverage to readWestern 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: too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: too little coverage to readBritish 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: 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: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualBuhari, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 52 outletsTashkent, Uzbekistan -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 52 outletsWisconsin, US -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 16 outletsKogi, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsGuwahati, India -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 12 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 16 outletsTexas, US -- health: 32 stories, carried by 39 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

● Buhari Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 12 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 26 stories ● Tashkent Uzbekistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories ● Wisconsin US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Kogi Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice31% 3,092 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents21% 2,048 stories · more than usual (usually 18%) Health20% 1,994 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence14% 1,416 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 575 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 394 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 227 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 220 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 killed3,191 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected1,312 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests1,294 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured957 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced201 at about three times the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting refugees158 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting abductions130 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations58 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill18 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 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 →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.