← 8 Dec Wednesday 9 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 10 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,647 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 people injured in Kashmir, the avalanche in Nepal and illness in Pyongyang. Kashmir's coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the UK → Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 63 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostKashmir 54 in 100 of its 145 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 →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

78 of its 145 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's.

Kashmir over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Yemen

45 of its 58 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Singapore

138 of its 372 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (43 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Albania

10 of its 17 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. 9 of Tirana's 10 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Liberia

19 of its 49 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

China

Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories). Polio was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Ghana

Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (20 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: polio in United Arab Emirates (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in New Zealand (30 of its stories, about three times its usual); wildfires in France (32 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Italy (13 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); dengue in India (23 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10022 Oct15 Nov24 Nov1 Dec9 Dec22 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 1007 Dec: 25 in 1008 Dec: 25 in 1009 Dec: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 9 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 24,647 stories about harm among 100,268 counted on 9 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

The share of stories about people being harmed was the lowest since 5 November 2020. 25 in every 100 of the day's 100,268 news stories were about people being harmed, below the usual 26. On the side of help, reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. People falling ill were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the UK. Mentions of the avalanche ran about 6 times their usual in Nepal's news.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen78 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia60 in 100 of its 139 stories · usually 61 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 99 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Syria59 in 100 of its 82 stories · usually 56 · mostly rights & justice North Korea56 in 100 of its 77 stories · usually 46 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US121 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1118 Delhi India92 stories about protests or strikes, of its 265 Beijing China49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 196 Boise US45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 69 London UK35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 566

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Vietnam: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: 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: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: feelings about like the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: 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: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sPoland: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua 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'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNiue: feelings about like the world'sNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: feelings about like the world'sMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: too little coverage to readMali: 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: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLibya: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: feelings about like the world'sKenya: feelings about like the world'sKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sJapan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sIsrael: 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'sGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: too little coverage to readGhana: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: 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: feelings about like the world'sFrench 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: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: feelings about like the world'sDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sComoros: feelings about like the world'sChina: 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: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelgium: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: feelings about like the world'sAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readVatican City: feelings about like the world'sMarshall Islands: feelings about like the world'sNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican 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: feelings about like the world'sJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: feelings about like the world'sCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: feelings about like the world'sMonaco: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. 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: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: coverage a little angrier than the world'sZambia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sYemen: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sVenezuela: coverage a little angrier than the world'sUkraine: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUganda: coverage a little angrier than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTunisia: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sThailand: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSweden: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSomalia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSamoa: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sRussia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sQatar: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPortugal: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPeru: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sOman: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNorth Korea: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNigeria: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sNiger: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sNew Zealand: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMozambique: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMexico: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMalta: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLebanon: coverage a little angrier than the world'sLatvia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sKyrgyzstan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sKuwait: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sItaly: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIreland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sIndonesia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGreece: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGermany: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sFrance: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sEthiopia: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sEgypt: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sEcuador: coverage a little angrier than the world'sDenmark: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCzechia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCuba: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sCôte d’Ivoire: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sDR Congo: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCongo: coverage a little angrier than the world'sColombia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sHong Kong: 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'sBotswana: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBelarus: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBangladesh: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sAustria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sAustralia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sArmenia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sArgentina: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAlgeria: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAlbania: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sUkraine: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about three times as fearful as the world'sMaldives: coverage a little more fearful than 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 about three times as fearful as the world's · 78 stories about harm ● Ethiopia about twice as angry as the world's · 83 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about twice as angry as the world's · 59 stories about harm ● Yemen few stories about twice as angry as the world's · 45 stories about harm ● Sri Lanka about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 75 stories about harm ● Tunisia few stories about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 19 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health63% 15,279 stories · more than usual (usually 60%) Rights & justice16% 3,900 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents7% 1,829 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,370 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 987 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 493 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 285 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 281 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 killed6,109 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,752 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,725 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,350 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees200 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced150 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions101 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill82 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting evacuations48 at about half 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 much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less 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

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.