← 13 Dec Monday 14 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 15 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,595 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 a disaster in Jeddah, rights and justice in Tehran and people affected in Switzerland. Niger's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were softer than usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and Iran →
Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSingapore 45 in 100 of its 325 stories, usually 24
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 37 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 →
Disasters & accidents

Saudi Arabia

180 of its 310 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Jeddah accounted for 130 of Saudi Arabia's 180 stories about harm, carried by 258 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 8 times the usual rate (11 stories). Oil spill was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Rights & justice

Iran

193 of its 304 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Tehran accounted for 92 of Iran's 193 stories about harm, carried by 98 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (39 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

Nigeria

539 of its 1,210 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (169 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Fiji

27 of its 61 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Cyclone was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

Disasters & accidents

Venezuela

45 of its 90 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (39 stories).

Conflict & violence

Lebanon

58 of its 106 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Beirut accounted for 44 of Lebanon's 58 stories about harm, carried by 63 outlets.

Health

Rwanda

26 of its 52 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories).

Conflict & violence

Austria

28 of its 74 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (12 stories).

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Fiji (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Australia (94 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); poisoning in Russia (45 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); nipah virus in Brazil (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Netherlands (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 27 the day before
30 in 10024 in 10012 Nov22 Nov29 Nov6 Dec14 Dec12 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 10013 Dec: 27 in 10014 Dec: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 14 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 21,595 stories about harm among 82,952 counted on 14 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Abductions were reported at about three times the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and Iran. Stories about people being harmed made up 26 in every 100 of the day's 82,952 stories, as usual. On 15 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 26 today. In Saudi Arabia, 58% of the news was about people being harmed, where 39% is usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessThailand: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSomalia: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: near the world's share or lessMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: no storiesMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIsrael: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIraq: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: no storiesGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: no storiesEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: near the world's share or lessDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCuba: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessMyanmar: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBangladesh: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: near the world's share or lessSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesYemen: 54 in 100 of its 46 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Venezuela: 50 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)US: 33 in 100 of its 23,038 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Uganda: 46 in 100 of its 171 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Tonga: 75 in 100 of its 8 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Syria: 52 in 100 of its 73 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Eswatini: 70 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)South Sudan: 70 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Sudan: 59 in 100 of its 146 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Sri Lanka: 36 in 100 of its 198 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)South Korea: 39 in 100 of its 293 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)South Africa: 38 in 100 of its 800 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Singapore: 45 in 100 of its 325 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Saudi Arabia: 58 in 100 of its 310 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Rwanda: 50 in 100 of its 52 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Philippines: 37 in 100 of its 556 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Pakistan: 36 in 100 of its 664 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)North Korea: 68 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Nigeria: 45 in 100 of its 1,210 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Niger: 79 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Nepal: 45 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Mozambique: 58 in 100 of its 52 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Lebanon: 55 in 100 of its 106 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kyrgyzstan: 43 in 100 of its 35 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Jamaica: 39 in 100 of its 154 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 48 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Iran: 63 in 100 of its 304 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Indonesia: 44 in 100 of its 215 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Honduras: 64 in 100 of its 14 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Germany: 33 in 100 of its 659 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Fiji: 44 in 100 of its 61 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Ethiopia: 49 in 100 of its 95 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Côte d’Ivoire: 70 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Cameroon: 50 in 100 of its 30 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Brazil: 37 in 100 of its 189 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Belarus: 51 in 100 of its 73 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Azerbaijan: 46 in 100 of its 63 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Austria: 38 in 100 of its 74 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Albania: 67 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Afghanistan: 61 in 100 of its 109 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 102 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 48 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 48 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 102 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 102 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 48 in 100 of its 71 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 102 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 26 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

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.