← 28 Dec Sunday 29 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 30 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
10,290 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 hunger in Somalia, protests in Kiev (Ukraine) and drownings in Fiji drew the news. Somalia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Somalia → Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Fiji and Syria → Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 27 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostUkraine 52 in 100 of its 279 stories, usually 10
RegionCentral Asia 53 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

170 of its 181 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Mogadishu accounted for 162 of Somalia's 170 stories about harm, carried by 324 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 9 times the usual rate (13 stories). Hunger was named in 26 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Somalia over 30 days → its stories → Mogadishu stories →
Protests & strikes

Ukraine

145 of its 279 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 10%. 44 of Kiev's 73 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (118 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Ukraine over 30 days → its stories → Kiev stories →
Disasters & accidents

Fiji

56 of its 74 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (29 stories). Drownings were named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Syria

114 of its 139 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Idlib accounted for 92 of Syria's 114 stories about harm, carried by 85 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Netherlands

32 of its 82 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Egypt

74 of its 200 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (51 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Australia

468 of its 1,346 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Storms were named in 70 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

101 of its 403 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (36 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Morocco

13 of its 36 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. 6 of Rabat's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Papua New Guinea (19 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); avalanche in Italy (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); drownings in Spain (19 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); extreme cold in Bangladesh (19 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tsunami in Puerto Rico (11 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

22 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 21 the day before
22 in 10016 in 10030 Nov7 Dec14 Dec21 Dec29 Dec30 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 10026 Dec: 19 in 10027 Dec: 20 in 10028 Dec: 21 in 10029 Dec: 22 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 10,290 stories about harm among 47,606 counted on 29 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed since 21 September 2019. Stories about people being harmed made up 22 in every 100 of the day's 47,606 stories, above the usual 18. Mentions of the avalanche ran more than ten times their usual in Italy's news. On the side of help, reports of volunteers ran at about twice the usual rate. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and Somalia. This week the news turned most often to Fiji, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 5 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia94 in 100 of its 181 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Syria82 in 100 of its 139 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Fiji76 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 32 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen68 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq66 in 100 of its 261 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Delhi India77 stories about protests or strikes, of its 190 Lucknow India46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 62 Kiev Ukraine44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 73 Washington US39 stories about protests or strikes, of its 204 Kirkuk Iraq37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 96

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sZambia: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: too little coverage to readTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTunisia: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: feelings about like the world'sSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sPoland: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMozambique: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: feelings about like the world'sMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: feelings about like the world'sMali: too little coverage to readMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readJordan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sPalestine: feelings about like the world'sIran: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: too little coverage to readHonduras: feelings about like the world'sHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: feelings about like the world'sGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: feelings about like the world'sSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: feelings about like the world'sNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: feelings about like the world'sFiji: feelings about like the world'sEthiopia: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sCongo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChad: too little coverage to readCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCameroon: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelgium: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBangladesh: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAzerbaijan: feelings about like the world'sAustralia: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: feelings about like the world'sArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: feelings about like the world'sJammu & Kashmir: feelings about like the world'sGaza: feelings about like the world'sWest Bank: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: feelings about like the world'sSiachen Glacier: feelings about like the world'sEast Jerusalem: feelings about like the world'sAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: feelings about like the world'sNorthern Mariana Islands: feelings about like the world'sAmerican 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: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: 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: feelings about like the world'sSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sVietnam: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sVenezuela: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sUganda: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTanzania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSwitzerland: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSweden: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSpain: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSomalia: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sSingapore: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sSamoa: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sRussia: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sQatar: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPortugal: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPhilippines: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPapua New Guinea: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPakistan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNorth Korea: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNigeria: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNiger: coverage a little angrier than the world'sNetherlands: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMorocco: coverage a little angrier than the world'sLuxembourg: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLibya: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKenya: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKazakhstan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sJapan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sItaly: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIsrael: coverage a little angrier than the world'sIreland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sIraq: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sHungary: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGermany: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sEl Salvador: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sEgypt: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sEcuador: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sChina: coverage a little warmer than the world'sChile: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBrazil: coverage a little warmer than the world'sBahrain: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sAustria: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sChina: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUkraine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Somalia about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 170 stories about harm ● Iraq about twice as angry as the world's · 171 stories about harm ● Russia about three times as fearful as the world's · 101 stories about harm ● Türkiye about twice as fearful as the world's · 55 stories about harm ● Saudi Arabia about twice as fearful as the world's · 76 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 113 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice27% 2,712 stories · less than usual (usually 31%) Disasters & accidents22% 2,211 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence20% 1,980 stories · much more than usual (usually 14%) Health18% 1,818 stories · less than usual (usually 22%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 656 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 327 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 219 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 191 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 killed3,696 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people injured1,297 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and Somalia Stories reporting arrests1,291 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,224 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting evacuations152 at about three times the usual rate · most about Fiji and Syria Stories reporting people displaced129 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting refugees100 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions88 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill7 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Bangladesh

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 much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.