← 5 Dec Sunday 6 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 7 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,161 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to illness in Havana, protests in Minsk (Belarus) and violence in Tehran. Iran's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 59 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostCuba 69 in 100 of its 74 stories, usually 38
RegionCentral Asia 49 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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 →
Health

Cuba

51 of its 74 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Havana accounted for 46 of Cuba's 51 stories about harm, carried by 161 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (30 stories). Illness was named in 42 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Havana stories →
Protests & strikes

Belarus

25 of its 34 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Minsk accounted for 21 of Belarus' 25 stories about harm, carried by 150 outlets. 20 of Minsk's 21 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Belarus over 30 days → its stories → Minsk stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

Tehran accounted for 64 of Iran's 87 stories about harm, carried by 82 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Thailand

34 of its 77 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. 11 of Bangkok's 17 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Uruguay

14 of its 22 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

South Korea

89 of its 196 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Seoul accounted for 74 of South Korea's 89 stories about harm, carried by 140 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (55 stories).

its stories →
Health

China

Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Poisoning was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Ethiopia

Tigray accounted for 27 of Ethiopia's 33 stories about harm, carried by 100 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

France

46 of Paris' 73 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: house fires in Ireland (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Romania (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in China (15 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); drownings in Nigeria (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); polio in UK (19 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 27 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10015 Oct11 Nov21 Nov28 Nov6 Dec15 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 1006 Dec: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 6 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 12,161 stories about harm among 46,233 counted on 6 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Ireland's news mentioned house fires more than ten times as often as usual. 26 in every 100 of the day's 46,233 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On 7 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 26 today. Cuba stood out: 69% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 38%. This week the news turned most often to Sri Lanka, on 5 of 7 days; help rose on 3 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Palestine80 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 50 · mostly health Cuba69 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 38 · mostly health Ethiopia58 in 100 of its 57 stories · usually 60 · mostly health Afghanistan53 in 100 of its 135 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Indonesia53 in 100 of its 141 stories · usually 44 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US71 stories about protests or strikes, of its 483 Delhi India51 stories about protests or strikes, of its 207 Paris France46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 73 London UK35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 259 Jerusalem Israel28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 74

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sZambia: feelings about like the world'sVietnam: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth 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 readUkraine: feelings about like the world'sUganda: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSudan: feelings about like the world'sSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSaudi Arabia: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRwanda: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sQatar: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: feelings about like the world'sMalta: feelings about like the world'sMali: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: feelings about like the world'sKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sJapan: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: too little coverage to readGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: feelings about like the world'sNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: feelings about like the world'sFiji: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEcuador: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sCongo: too little coverage to readComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: feelings about like the world'sChina: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCentral African Republic: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelgium: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBangladesh: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAustria: feelings about like the world'sAustralia: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: feelings about like the world'sAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: feelings about like the world'sNorthern Mariana Islands: feelings about like the world'sAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: feelings about like the world'sPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: feelings about like the world'sSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: feelings about like the world'sNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: feelings about like the world'sYemen: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sVenezuela: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUruguay: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUK: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: coverage a little warmer than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTunisia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSwitzerland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSweden: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSomalia: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPortugal: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPoland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPeru: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPakistan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sOman: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sNamibia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMozambique: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMexico: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLibya: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJamaica: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sItaly: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIreland: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIran: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sGuyana: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGuinea: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGreece: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGermany: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGeorgia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sFrance: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sEthiopia: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sEgypt: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sDenmark: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCuba: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCameroon: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBrazil: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBelarus: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sArmenia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Kashmir few stories about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 42 stories about harm ● France about twice as angry as the world's · 102 stories about harm ● Iran about twice as angry as the world's · 87 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about twice as angry as the world's · 72 stories about harm ● Ethiopia few stories about twice as angry as the world's · 33 stories about harm ● Sri Lanka few stories about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's · 43 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health59% 7,096 stories · about as usual Rights & justice15% 1,746 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 1,237 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 834 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 584 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 244 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 160 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 107 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 killed3,768 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected943 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests829 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured750 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees75 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions61 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced57 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations47 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill22 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
● 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 · 18 Oct – 24 Oct

The week in human impact

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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.