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What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,624 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 day's news pointed at protests in Tirana (Albania), the earthquake in Japan and violence in Beirut. Albania's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 59 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostLebanon 64 in 100 of its 66 stories, usually 40
RegionEast Asia 29 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

Albania

19 of its 29 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. 9 of Tirana's 12 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Health

Japan

97 of its 391 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Earthquake was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

6 more places the news pointed at
Health

South Korea

92 of its 220 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Seoul accounted for 62 of South Korea's 92 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Health

Latvia

10 of its 20 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Health

Indonesia

Jakarta accounted for 42 of Indonesia's 67 stories about harm, carried by 81 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Health

Switzerland

32 of its 117 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories).

Protests & strikes

Bahrain

29 of its 94 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. 3 of Manama's 6 stories were about protests or strikes.

Rights & justice

Trinidad & Tobago

20 of its 45 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

Also named far more than usual: flu in Peru (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Thailand (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in Australia (30 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); wildfires in France (15 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); storms in UK (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
30 in 10023 in 1005 Nov20 Nov27 Nov4 Dec12 Dec5 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 10012 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 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 14,624 stories about harm among 54,469 counted on 12 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Peru's news mentioned the flu more than ten times as often as usual. 27 in every 100 of the day's 54,469 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. On 13 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 16 in every 100, against 27 today. Albania stood out: 66% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 39%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where it happened

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Buenos Aires, Argentina -- protests & strikes: 8 stories, carried by 8 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Baku, Azerbaijan -- attacks & violence: 5 stories, carried by 8 outlets; harsh wording in 80 in 100Jerusalem, Israel -- attacks & violence: 30 stories, carried by 24 outlets; harsh wording in 87 in 100Coffs Harbour, Australia -- accidents & disasters: 6 stories, carried by 10 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Geneva, Switzerland -- deaths, cause not given: 14 stories, carried by 22 outlets; harsh wording in 86 in 100Baghdad, Iraq -- attacks & violence: 14 stories, carried by 16 outlets; harsh wording in 79 in 100Kankara, Nigeria -- attacks & violence: 32 stories, carried by 17 outlets; harsh wording in 97 in 100British Isles, UK -- accidents & disasters: 6 stories, carried by 19 outlets; harsh wording in 67 in 100Lahore, Pakistan -- attacks & violence: 38 stories, carried by 26 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Rajhat, India -- protests & strikes: 8 stories, carried by 10 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Bangkok, Thailand -- protests & strikes: 12 stories, carried by 23 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Prince Edward Island, Canada -- deaths, cause not given: 6 stories, carried by 29 outlets; harsh wording in 83 in 100Beirut, Lebanon -- attacks & violence: 32 stories, carried by 26 outlets; harsh wording in 97 in 100English Channel, UK -- accidents & disasters: 7 stories, carried by 38 outlets; harsh wording in 86 in 100Tikri, India -- protests & strikes: 15 stories, carried by 16 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Yerevan, Armenia -- attacks & violence: 11 stories, carried by 37 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Katsina, Nigeria -- attacks & violence: 59 stories, carried by 48 outlets; harsh wording in 97 in 100Fort Jackson National Cemetery, US -- accidents & disasters: 7 stories, carried by 69 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Hadrut, Azerbaijan -- attacks & violence: 9 stories, carried by 34 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Grant County, US -- protests & strikes: 5 stories, carried by 59 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Tirana, Albania -- protests & strikes: 12 stories, carried by 53 outlets; harsh wording in 92 in 100Ansan, South Korea -- protests & strikes: 12 stories, carried by 46 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100Kabul, Afghanistan -- attacks & violence: 58 stories, carried by 102 outlets; harsh wording in 90 in 100Tigray, Ethiopia -- people displaced: 62 stories, carried by 214 outlets; harsh wording in 100 in 100
Attacks & violenceAccidents & disastersPeople displacedDeaths, cause not givenProtests & strikesDisease & outbreaks

The day's biggest events: attacks, accidents and disasters, people displaced, protests, outbreaks. Bigger dot: more stories. Ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported it and how clearly it was about one thing, the same way for every place and year; the news data does not say who attacked whom, so both sides of a war appear where the news put them. Click a dot for its stories.

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

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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.