← 10 Dec Friday 11 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 12 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,643 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 →

Violence in Beirut, people killed in Latvia and the covid in Honduras drew the news. Armenia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostLebanon 71 in 100 of its 150 stories, usually 38
RegionEvery region about as usual
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 →
Conflict & violence

Lebanon

107 of its 150 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Beirut accounted for 83 of Lebanon's 107 stories about harm, carried by 131 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (34 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Lebanon over 30 days → its stories → Beirut stories →
Health

Latvia

31 of its 56 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Latvia over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Jamaica

91 of its 221 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of abductions ran at about 6 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Russia

285 of its 818 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (26 stories). Ebola was named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mozambique

19 of its 30 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Argentina

50 of its 141 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Buenos Aires accounted for 29 of Argentina's 50 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Ghana

Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hiv in Australia (135 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); measles in Italy (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); ebola in Russia (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); hiv in Canada (13 of its stories, about three times its usual); malaria in India (18 of its stories, about three times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 24 the day before
30 in 10023 in 10027 Oct19 Nov26 Nov3 Dec11 Dec27 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 10011 Dec: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 11 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 23,643 stories about harm among 94,415 counted on 11 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

For the second day running, the news turned to Lebanon. Stories about people being harmed made up 25 in every 100 of the day's 94,415 stories, as usual. A year earlier, on 12 December 2019, 17 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today. In Lebanon, 71% of the news was about people being harmed, where 38% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Lebanon71 in 100 of its 150 stories · usually 38 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia60 in 100 of its 176 stories · usually 61 · mostly displacement Syria57 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Latvia55 in 100 of its 56 stories · usually 22 · mostly health Afghanistan53 in 100 of its 132 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US117 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1010 Delhi India75 stories about protests or strikes, of its 257 Beijing China58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 152 London UK48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 702 Hollywood US41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 249

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 lessYemen: 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 lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.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: 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 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: too little coverage to readTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: too little coverage to readRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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 lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: 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: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: too little coverage to readNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: 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: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. 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 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: 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 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 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos 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: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint 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 readVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUzbekistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSierra Leone: warmth about its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualHong Kong: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualState of Texas, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 26 outletsArizona, US -- health: 39 stories, carried by 37 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 32 stories, carried by 48 outletsRiga, Latvia -- health: 16 stories, carried by 160 outletsLondon, UK -- health: 702 stories, carried by 712 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 40 stories, carried by 42 outletsLima, Peru -- health: 13 stories, carried by 10 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

● Uzbekistan warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● State of Texas US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 39 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 32 stories ● Riga Latvia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● London UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 702 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health62% 14,532 stories · more than usual (usually 60%) Rights & justice17% 3,957 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents6% 1,509 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,412 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 927 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 506 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 338 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 266 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 killed6,608 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,700 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,478 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,181 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees199 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions161 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced159 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations47 at about half the usual rate · most about New Zealand and Indonesia Stories reporting people falling ill37 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

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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.