← 24 Dec Wednesday 25 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 26 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
9,182 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 Algiers (Algeria), violence in Ouagadougou and the typhoon in the Philippines drew the news. Burkina Faso's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostHong Kong 75 in 100 of its 123 stories, usually 36
RegionSoutheast Asia 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 21
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 →
Protests & strikes

Algeria

43 of its 72 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Algiers accounted for 38 of Algeria's 43 stories about harm, carried by 107 outlets. 35 of Algiers' 38 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (36 stories). Illness was named in 41 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Algeria over 30 days → its stories → Algiers stories →
Conflict & violence

Burkina Faso

136 of its 138 stories (99%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Ouagadougou accounted for 61 of Burkina Faso's 136 stories about harm, carried by 148 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (40 stories). Natural hazards were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Burkina Faso over 30 days → its stories → Ouagadougou stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

189 of its 406 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (60 stories). Typhoon was named in 105 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with cyclone, storms and heavy rain.

Philippines over 30 days → its stories →
Displacement

Indonesia

58 of its 129 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Hong Kong

92 of its 123 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Mong Kok accounted for 79 of Hong Kong's 92 stories about harm, carried by 249 outlets. 79 of Mong Kok's 79 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Spain

61 of its 216 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (49 stories). Drownings were named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Chile

38 of its 74 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories). Storms were named in 24 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with wildfires.

its stories →
Health

Brazil

41 of its 138 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (17 stories). Illness was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

120 of its 197 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Romania

7 of its 22 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. 5 of Bucharest's 5 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Brazil (26 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in Chile (24 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Canada (56 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Spain (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in France (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 18 the day before
21 in 10016 in 10026 Nov3 Dec10 Dec17 Dec25 Dec26 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 10023 Dec: 19 in 10024 Dec: 18 in 10025 Dec: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 25 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 9,182 stories about harm among 47,704 counted on 25 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. of the day's 47,704 news stories, 19 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 18. the Philippines' news mentioned the typhoon about 4 times as often as usual. Algeria's news was 60% about people being harmed, against a usual 35%. A year earlier, on 25 December 2018, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Burkina Faso99 in 100 of its 138 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Hong Kong75 in 100 of its 123 stories · usually 36 · mostly rights & justice Iraq61 in 100 of its 103 stories · usually 64 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan61 in 100 of its 197 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Algeria60 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 35 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Mong Kok Hong Kong79 stories about protests or strikes, of its 79 Delhi India77 stories about protests or strikes, of its 145 Washington US63 stories about protests or strikes, of its 245 Mangaluru India45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 49 Lucknow India37 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: too little coverage to readUganda: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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 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: 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 lessSão 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 lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: too little coverage to readPortugal: 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 readOman: 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 lessNiger: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: too little coverage to readMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: 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 lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: too little coverage to readIreland: 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: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: 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: 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 lessFrance: too little coverage to readSt 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readN. 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: 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: too little coverage to readMyanmar: too little coverage to readBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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: 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 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 readCrimea: too little coverage to readEast Jerusalem: too little coverage to readVatican 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualSudan: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualDammam, Saudi Arabia -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 57 stories, carried by 58 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 51 stories, carried by 133 outletsAyodhya, India -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 14 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 10 stories, carried by 13 outletsHerat, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 16 outletsOttawa, Canada -- food & livelihood: 11 stories, carried by 61 outletsBuhari, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 15 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

● Dammam Saudi Arabia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 57 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 51 stories ● Ayodhya India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 2,597 stories · less than usual (usually 31%) Health21% 1,870 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents20% 1,812 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence16% 1,426 stories · more than usual (usually 13%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 523 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 380 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 249 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 185 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 killed2,796 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,222 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting arrests993 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured703 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees144 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Syria Stories reporting abductions134 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people displaced132 at about twice the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting evacuations94 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and France Stories reporting people falling ill10 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines

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

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.