← 2 Dec Thursday 3 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 4 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,840 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 cyclone in Sri Lanka, arrests in Hong Kong and people affected in Azerbaijan drew the news. Azerbaijan's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostHong Kong 52 in 100 of its 149 stories, usually 34
RegionEvery region about as usual
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Sri Lanka

86 of its 202 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Cyclone was named in 22 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. 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.

Rights & justice

Hong Kong

78 of its 149 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

47 of its 86 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Lebanon

85 of its 174 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Beirut accounted for 55 of Lebanon's 85 stories about harm, carried by 106 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories).

Health

Thailand

Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Flooding was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Health

Samoa

13 of its 15 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Measles was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

Health

South Korea

158 of its 403 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Seoul accounted for 103 of South Korea's 158 stories about harm, carried by 206 outlets.

Health

Malawi

31 of its 77 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).

Displacement

Ethiopia

Tigray accounted for 83 of Ethiopia's 108 stories about harm, carried by 93 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Thailand (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); measles in Samoa (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); wildfires in France (14 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); natural hazards in China (25 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); house fires in Australia (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10011 Oct23 Oct18 Nov25 Nov3 Dec11 Oct: 29 in 10012 Oct: 27 in 10014 Oct: 26 in 10015 Oct: 25 in 10018 Oct: 29 in 10019 Oct: 26 in 10022 Oct: 25 in 10023 Oct: 27 in 10027 Oct: 26 in 1005 Nov: 23 in 10011 Nov: 25 in 10012 Nov: 26 in 10013 Nov: 27 in 10015 Nov: 30 in 10018 Nov: 26 in 10019 Nov: 26 in 10020 Nov: 26 in 10021 Nov: 26 in 10022 Nov: 28 in 10023 Nov: 26 in 10024 Nov: 25 in 10025 Nov: 25 in 10026 Nov: 25 in 10027 Nov: 25 in 10028 Nov: 26 in 10029 Nov: 26 in 10030 Nov: 25 in 1001 Dec: 25 in 1002 Dec: 25 in 1003 Dec: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 3 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 25,840 stories about harm among 102,724 counted on 3 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Sri Lanka for the fourth day running. 25 in every 100 of the day's 102,724 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On the side of help, reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. On 4 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 16 in every 100, against 25 today. Sri Lanka's news was 43% about people being harmed, against a usual 34%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: near the world's share or lessCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: no storiesKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIsrael: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: no storiesEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: no storiesDjibouti: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: near the world's share or lessDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessMyanmar: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessJammu & Kashmir: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessSiachen Glacier: near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: near the world's share or lessPitcairn: near the world's share or lessAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: no storiesJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: near the world's share or lessMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: near the world's share or lessSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: near the world's share or lessYemen: 64 in 100 of its 56 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Vietnam: 37 in 100 of its 211 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)US: 32 in 100 of its 29,444 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Uganda: 36 in 100 of its 115 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Tunisia: 45 in 100 of its 42 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Thailand: 34 in 100 of its 222 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Syria: 54 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Sweden: 35 in 100 of its 165 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Eswatini: 75 in 100 of its 8 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)South Sudan: 62 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Sudan: 64 in 100 of its 47 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Sri Lanka: 43 in 100 of its 202 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)South Korea: 39 in 100 of its 403 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)South Africa: 36 in 100 of its 844 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Somalia: 48 in 100 of its 44 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Samoa: 87 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Philippines: 45 in 100 of its 664 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Pakistan: 36 in 100 of its 702 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Nigeria: 36 in 100 of its 1,188 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Mozambique: 57 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Malawi: 40 in 100 of its 77 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Lebanon: 49 in 100 of its 174 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Laos: 60 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Kuwait: 49 in 100 of its 43 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Palestine: 47 in 100 of its 108 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Iraq: 52 in 100 of its 122 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Iran: 44 in 100 of its 363 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Indonesia: 41 in 100 of its 201 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Hungary: 37 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Greece: 34 in 100 of its 198 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Ethiopia: 62 in 100 of its 173 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)El Salvador: 59 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Egypt: 42 in 100 of its 247 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Ecuador: 53 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Greenland: 60 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Hong Kong: 52 in 100 of its 149 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Cambodia: 40 in 100 of its 43 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Belarus: 36 in 100 of its 96 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Bangladesh: 53 in 100 of its 196 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Azerbaijan: 55 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Afghanistan: 52 in 100 of its 174 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Palestine: 47 in 100 of its 108 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Palestine: 47 in 100 of its 108 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Palestine: 47 in 100 of its 108 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 25 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than 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.