← 4 Dec Saturday 5 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 6 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,840 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 news turned to protests in Ramallah (Palestine), illness in Moscow and people displaced in Tigray. Palestine's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 58 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostRussia 47 in 100 of its 456 stories, usually 27
RegionEast Asia 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
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

Palestine

42 of its 71 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Ramallah accounted for 35 of Palestine's 42 stories about harm, carried by 151 outlets. 20 of Ramallah's 35 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Health

Russia

216 of its 456 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Moscow accounted for 151 of Russia's 216 stories about harm, carried by 260 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (81 stories). Outbreaks were named in 46 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with respiratory illness.

6 more places the news pointed at
Health

China

346 of its 1,061 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Poisoning was named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Protests & strikes

Thailand

14 of Bangkok's 21 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Flooding was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Protests & strikes

France

Paris accounted for 88 of France's 125 stories about harm, carried by 107 outlets. 55 of Paris' 88 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Health

Brazil

44 of its 112 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Health

Bangladesh

Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (22 stories). Cyclone was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with landslides. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Protests & strikes

Armenia

11 of Yerevan's 14 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Thailand (11 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); outbreaks in Switzerland (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); cyclone in Bangladesh (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); poisoning in China (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in UK (49 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10014 Oct5 Nov20 Nov27 Nov5 Dec14 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 1005 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 5 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 14,840 stories about harm among 55,546 counted on 5 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

In Russia's news, mentions of outbreaks ran about three times their usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 27 in every 100 of the day's 55,546 stories, as usual. A year earlier, on 6 December 2019, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. In Palestine, 59% of the news was about people being harmed, where 50% is usual.

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 lessVietnam: 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 lessUnited States: 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 lessTunisia: 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 lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSudan: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: 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 storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: 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 lessPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNiger: 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 lessMozambique: 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 lessMalawi: 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 lessLebanon: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: 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 lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: 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: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: no storiesEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: no storiesDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: near the world's share or lessDenmark: 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 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 lessBrunei: 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 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 lessAzerbaijan: 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: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: 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: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: 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: no storiesAruba: no storiesNauru: no storiesMonaco: 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: no storiesNorfolk 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: 72 in 100 of its 75 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Uganda: 39 in 100 of its 84 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Thailand: 40 in 100 of its 121 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Syria: 44 in 100 of its 43 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Sri Lanka: 36 in 100 of its 143 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)South Africa: 42 in 100 of its 424 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Somalia: 75 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Russia: 47 in 100 of its 456 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Romania: 45 in 100 of its 38 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Philippines: 40 in 100 of its 356 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)North Korea: 56 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Nicaragua: 62 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Israel: 37 in 100 of its 174 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Iraq: 59 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Iran: 54 in 100 of its 151 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Indonesia: 48 in 100 of its 92 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Haiti: 60 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Greece: 37 in 100 of its 102 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Ethiopia: 74 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Czechia: 46 in 100 of its 35 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Hong Kong: 46 in 100 of its 68 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Chile: 61 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Cambodia: 65 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Bulgaria: 67 in 100 of its 12 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Brazil: 39 in 100 of its 112 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Belize: 53 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Belarus: 56 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Bangladesh: 46 in 100 of its 205 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Afghanistan: 59 in 100 of its 108 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)
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 27 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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as 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 · 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.