← 9 Dec Thursday 10 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 11 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,382 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 protests in Tirana (Albania), the earthquake in Taiwan and violence in Beirut. Albania's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostLebanon 58 in 100 of its 184 stories, usually 38
RegionCentral Asia 41 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 →
Protests & strikes

Albania

31 of its 41 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Tirana accounted for 25 of Albania's 31 stories about harm, carried by 143 outlets. 18 of Tirana's 25 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Albania over 30 days → its stories → Tirana stories →
Disasters & accidents

Taiwan

73 of its 181 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Taipei accounted for 51 of Taiwan's 73 stories about harm, carried by 48 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Earthquake was named in 27 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Taiwan over 30 days → its stories → Taipei stories →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

107 of its 184 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Beirut accounted for 93 of Lebanon's 107 stories about harm, carried by 269 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (87 stories).

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

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 34 of Afghanistan's 95 stories about harm, carried by 64 outlets. 17 of Kabul's 34 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Tunisia

24 of its 42 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Displacement

Venezuela

37 of its 80 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

54 of its 71 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 66%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Finland

43 of its 136 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Norway

36 of its 134 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Hunger was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hunger in Norway (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hepatitis in Germany (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Pakistan (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); hiv in Australia (22 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in China (23 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10023 Oct18 Nov25 Nov2 Dec10 Dec23 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 10010 Dec: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 10 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 24,382 stories about harm among 100,547 counted on 10 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

It was the lowest share of stories about people being harmed since 5 November 2020. of the day's 100,547 news stories, 24 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 26. Taiwan's news mentioned the earthquake more than ten times as often as usual. Albania's news was 76% about people being harmed, against a usual 32%. On 11 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 24 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen76 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 66 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia63 in 100 of its 119 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia62 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan61 in 100 of its 155 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Lebanon58 in 100 of its 184 stories · usually 38 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US119 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1015 Delhi India77 stories about protests or strikes, of its 254 Los Angeles US44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 244 Beijing China39 stories about protests or strikes, of its 171 Lagos Nigeria26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 73

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: 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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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 lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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: too little coverage to readSouth Africa: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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 lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: about as warm as its own usual or lessNetherlands: 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 readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: 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 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: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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 lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualRomania: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualMongolia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualBurundi: warmth about its own usualBrazil: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualOslo, Norway -- health: 22 stories, carried by 119 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 18 stories, carried by 39 outletsArizona, US -- health: 26 stories, carried by 34 outletsStanford, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 21 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 37 stories, carried by 22 outletsMogadishu, Somalia -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 19 outletsAccra, Ghana -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 45 stories, carried by 69 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

● Oslo Norway about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Yorkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories ● Stanford US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Dubai United Arab Emirates about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 37 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health62% 14,897 stories · about as usual Rights & justice18% 4,268 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents7% 1,614 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,355 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 954 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 471 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 320 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 236 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 killed6,336 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,647 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,623 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,235 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees174 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions163 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced147 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations54 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and China Stories reporting people falling ill34 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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as 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.