← 29 Dec Monday 30 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 31 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,502 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 rights and justice in Ayia Napa, violence in Mogadishu and protests in Warsaw (Poland). Somalia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of volunteers ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostCyprus 75 in 100 of its 165 stories, usually 18
RegionOceania 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
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 →
Rights & justice

Cyprus

124 of its 165 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Ayia Napa accounted for 118 of Cyprus' 124 stories about harm, carried by 404 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (52 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Cyprus over 30 days → its stories → Ayia Napa stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

163 of its 173 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Mogadishu accounted for 145 of Somalia's 163 stories about harm, carried by 182 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 6 times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

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

Poland

30 of its 118 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. 12 of Warsaw's 21 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (18 stories). Outbreaks were named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

Poland over 30 days → its stories → Warsaw stories →
Health

Romania

26 of its 61 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (16 stories). Illness was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

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

Iraq

350 of its 485 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Kirkuk accounted for 171 of Iraq's 350 stories about harm, carried by 707 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (228 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

161 of its 258 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Kabul accounted for 88 of Afghanistan's 161 stories about harm, carried by 317 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Sudan

Khartoum accounted for 44 of Sudan's 73 stories about harm, carried by 150 outlets. 30 of Khartoum's 44 stories were about protests or strikes. Poisoning was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Papua New Guinea

67 of its 147 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Illness was named in 59 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Ukraine

92 of its 328 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. 24 of Kyiv's 45 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (64 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Australia

687 of its 1,951 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Tornadoes were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: illness in Papua New Guinea (59 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); cyclone in Tonga (14 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); cyclone in Mauritius (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in China (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Sudan (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

21 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 22 the day before
22 in 10016 in 1001 Dec8 Dec15 Dec22 Dec30 Dec1 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 10030 Dec: 21 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 30 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 16,502 stories about harm among 80,254 counted on 30 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Cyprus stood out: 75% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 18%. 21 in every 100 of the day's 80,254 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 18. On the side of help, reports of volunteers ran at about twice the usual rate. Tonga's news mentioned the cyclone about 7 times as often as usual. On 30 December 2018, a year earlier, the share was 23 in every 100, against 21 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia94 in 100 of its 173 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Cyprus75 in 100 of its 165 stories · usually 18 · mostly rights & justice Iraq72 in 100 of its 485 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen65 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan65 in 100 of its 113 stories · usually 60 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US87 stories about protests or strikes, of its 491 Delhi India75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 242 Ayia Napa Cyprus57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 118 Kirkuk Iraq57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 171 Atlanta US47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 116

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: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readGeorgia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: too little coverage to readAksai Chin: too little coverage to readGaza: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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 readSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about one and a half times its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualDammam, Saudi Arabia -- conflict & violence: 18 stories, carried by 38 outletsHood County, US -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 62 outletsPetersburg, Russia -- conflict & violence: 60 stories, carried by 131 outletsKremlin, Russia -- conflict & violence: 76 stories, carried by 258 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 32 stories, carried by 20 outletsTexas Department of Public Safety, US -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 52 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 88 stories, carried by 317 outletsBengaluru, India -- health: 22 stories, carried by 17 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

● Russia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Papua New Guinea warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Dammam Saudi Arabia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 18 stories ● Hood County US about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● Petersburg Russia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 60 stories ● Kremlin Russia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 76 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 32 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice26% 4,136 stories · much less than usual (usually 31%) Health23% 3,797 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents19% 3,152 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 2,826 stories · more than usual (usually 14%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,030 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 670 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 315 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 270 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 killed5,351 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting arrests2,301 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected1,732 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,675 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting refugees182 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations158 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Bangladesh and Australia Stories reporting abductions123 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced123 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill20 at about two-thirds of 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 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.