← 30 Dec Tuesday 31 December 2019 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,667 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 news turned to protests in Ayia Napa (Cyprus), violence in Mogadishu and people killed in Romania. Somalia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeRights & justice 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostCyprus 75 in 100 of its 81 stories, usually 25
RegionOceania 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Cyprus

61 of its 81 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Ayia Napa accounted for 50 of Cyprus' 61 stories about harm, carried by 175 outlets. 26 of Ayia Napa's 50 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (31 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

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

Somalia

105 of its 120 stories (88%) were about people being harmed, usually 69%. Mogadishu accounted for 92 of Somalia's 105 stories about harm, carried by 191 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry 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 →
Health

Romania

28 of its 54 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Romania over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Australia

870 of its 1,954 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (245 stories). Tornadoes were named in 102 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with power cuts.

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

Iraq

634 of its 819 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Baghdad accounted for 517 of Iraq's 634 stories about harm, carried by 1,350 outlets. 456 of Baghdad's 517 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Sudan

63 of its 86 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. 20 of Khartoum's 29 stories were about protests or strikes. Poisoning was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Hong Kong

85 of its 177 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Victoria Harbour accounted for 63 of Hong Kong's 85 stories about harm, carried by 96 outlets. 61 of Victoria Harbour's 63 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Iran

124 of its 251 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. 46 of Tehran's 82 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 8 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Nicaragua

11 of its 14 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. 5 of Managua's 5 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Libya

39 of its 74 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Tripoli accounted for 36 of Libya's 39 stories about harm, carried by 191 outlets. Hunger was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with tuberculosis.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Tonga (16 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); measles in New Zealand (26 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Libya (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Sudan (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Uganda (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 21 the day before
22 in 10016 in 1002 Dec9 Dec16 Dec23 Dec31 Dec2 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 10031 Dec: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 16,667 stories about harm among 82,211 counted on 31 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about twice the usual rate. In Cyprus, 75% of the news was about people being harmed, where 25% is usual. the news turned to Cyprus for the second day running. 20 in every 100 of the day's 82,211 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 18.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Somalia88 in 100 of its 120 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq77 in 100 of its 819 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Cyprus75 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 25 · mostly rights & justice Sudan73 in 100 of its 86 stories · usually 60 · mostly rights & justice Syria61 in 100 of its 89 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Baghdad Iraq456 stories about protests or strikes, of its 517 Washington US113 stories about protests or strikes, of its 420 Delhi India102 stories about protests or strikes, of its 254 Victoria Harbour Hong Kong61 stories about protests or strikes, of its 63 Beijing China58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 104

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 lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle 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: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 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 lessSaudi Arabia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readCameroon: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk 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 readSpain: warmth about its own usualKazakhstan: warmth about its own usualWhite Settlement, US -- conflict & violence: 208 stories, carried by 766 outletsNebraska, US -- disasters & accidents: 15 stories, carried by 20 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsPetersburg, Russia -- conflict & violence: 43 stories, carried by 48 outletsMadrid, Spain -- health: 12 stories, carried by 19 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 50 stories, carried by 23 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 44 outletsBristol, UK -- health: 13 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

● White Settlement US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 208 stories ● Nebraska US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 15 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Petersburg Russia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 43 stories ● Madrid Spain about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice28% 4,525 stories · less than usual (usually 30%) Health21% 3,497 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents20% 3,341 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence16% 2,550 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 1,047 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 692 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 370 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 318 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 killed5,444 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Iraq Stories reporting arrests2,226 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,998 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,411 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees176 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions172 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations146 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Australia and Bangladesh Stories reporting people displaced138 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill26 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 about as 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.