← 3 Dec Friday 4 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,352 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 the cyclone in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and people killed in Belarus. Belarus' coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 61 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostBelarus 61 in 100 of its 83 stories, usually 40
RegionCentral Asia 37 in 100 of its stories, usually 33
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 →
Displacement

Bangladesh

167 of its 275 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Bhasan Char accounted for 107 of Bangladesh's 167 stories about harm, carried by 271 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 8 times the usual rate (74 stories). Cyclone was named in 35 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual, with landslides.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories → Bhasan Char stories →
Health

Sri Lanka

Colombo accounted for 54 of Sri Lanka's 80 stories about harm, carried by 21 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories). Cyclone was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sri Lanka over 30 days → its stories → Colombo stories →
Rights & justice

Belarus

51 of its 83 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Belarus over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Displacement

Ethiopia

Tigray accounted for 62 of Ethiopia's 85 stories about harm, carried by 133 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Lebanon

45 of its 87 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Beirut accounted for 35 of Lebanon's 45 stories about harm, carried by 56 outlets.

its stories →
Health

Bahrain

49 of its 209 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

35 of its 61 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mozambique

26 of its 41 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Nicaragua

12 of its 15 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Earthquake was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Nicaragua (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Vietnam (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); illness in Afghanistan (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); road crashes in Ireland (16 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); house fires in Australia (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10012 Oct27 Oct19 Nov26 Nov4 Dec12 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 1004 Dec: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 24,352 stories about harm among 96,401 counted on 4 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual in Nicaragua's news. of the day's 96,401 news stories, 25 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. It was the second day running that the news turned to Bangladesh. On 5 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 17 in every 100, against 25 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen70 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 67 · mostly conflict & violence Belarus61 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 40 · mostly rights & justice Bangladesh61 in 100 of its 275 stories · usually 47 · mostly displacement Ethiopia61 in 100 of its 140 stories · usually 59 · mostly displacement Azerbaijan57 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 44 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US99 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1112 Delhi India85 stories about protests or strikes, of its 242 Beijing China35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 191 San Francisco US35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 219 Lagos Nigeria34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 83

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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 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: too little coverage to readNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: 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: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: too little coverage to readCuba: 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 lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: 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: 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 lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: 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: too little coverage to readMontserrat: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: about as warm as its own usual or lessSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readPhilippines: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualCambridge, UK -- health: 35 stories, carried by 29 outletsTennessee, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 21 outletsIowa, US -- health: 27 stories, carried by 49 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 12 stories, carried by 43 outletsSussex, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsSakhir, Bahrain -- health: 22 stories, carried by 24 outletsAccra, Ghana -- health: 24 stories, carried by 14 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 18 stories, carried by 13 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

● Cambridge UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 35 stories ● Tennessee US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Iowa US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 27 stories ● Calgary Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Sussex UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health61% 14,753 stories · more than usual (usually 59%) Rights & justice16% 3,772 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 2,017 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,542 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 953 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 482 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 313 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 292 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 killed6,507 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,762 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,678 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,312 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees202 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions130 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced107 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations90 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill27 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 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 →

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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.