← 14 Dec Tuesday 15 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 16 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
24,697 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 Kabul, abductions in Nigeria and people affected in Jamaica drew the news. Afghanistan's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read much softer than usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and the US → 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 mostFiji 55 in 100 of its 84 stories, usually 26
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

Afghanistan

130 of its 184 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Kabul accounted for 102 of Afghanistan's 130 stories about harm, carried by 191 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (75 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

Rights & justice

Nigeria

574 of its 1,323 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (220 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Niger

29 of its 31 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Rights & justice

Iran

Tehran accounted for 63 of Iran's 107 stories about harm, carried by 100 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 7 times the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Bahrain

25 of its 72 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Health

Jordan

30 of its 101 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

Disasters & accidents

Puerto Rico

15 of its 36 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).

Health

Botswana

16 of its 42 stories (38%) 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: volcanic eruption in Chile (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); helicopter crash in New Zealand (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Russia (28 of its stories, about three times its usual); plague in France (16 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); snowstorms in US (224 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 26 the day before
30 in 10024 in 10013 Nov23 Nov30 Nov7 Dec15 Dec13 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 10015 Dec: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 15 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 24,697 stories about harm among 98,338 counted on 15 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of vaccination, a sign of help, ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. 25 in every 100 of the day's 98,338 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and the US. Chile's news mentioned volcanic eruption about three times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 16 December 2019, 17 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 25 today.

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 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 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 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 lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: 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 lessSingapore: 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 lessRwanda: 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: near the world's share or lessMalta: 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 lessKyrgyzstan: 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 lessIreland: 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: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: 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: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: 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: no storiesCzech 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 lessComoros: no storiesChina: 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 storiesCameroon: 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 lessBrazil: 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 lessAustria: 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 lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessSiachen Glacier: near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: 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: no storiesAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos 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: near the world's share or lessMontserrat: 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: near the world's share or lessMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & 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: near the world's share or lessYemen: 71 in 100 of its 35 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Venezuela: 46 in 100 of its 84 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Uzbekistan: 53 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Puerto Rico: 42 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)US: 32 in 100 of its 27,980 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Uganda: 43 in 100 of its 193 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Tunisia: 47 in 100 of its 45 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Tonga: 70 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Syria: 56 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Sweden: 36 in 100 of its 187 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)South Sudan: 68 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Sudan: 44 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Sri Lanka: 35 in 100 of its 186 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Somalia: 44 in 100 of its 73 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Saudi Arabia: 45 in 100 of its 209 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Philippines: 41 in 100 of its 554 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Pakistan: 35 in 100 of its 718 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)North Korea: 61 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Nigeria: 43 in 100 of its 1,323 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Niger: 94 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Nepal: 55 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Mozambique: 75 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Lebanon: 38 in 100 of its 110 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Laos: 78 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Jamaica: 43 in 100 of its 162 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Israel: 32 in 100 of its 519 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Palestine: 35 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Iraq: 55 in 100 of its 55 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Iran: 52 in 100 of its 207 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Indonesia: 41 in 100 of its 194 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Honduras: 51 in 100 of its 37 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Guinea: 50 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Grenada: 64 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Germany: 32 in 100 of its 663 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Fiji: 55 in 100 of its 84 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Ethiopia: 45 in 100 of its 88 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Ecuador: 59 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Denmark: 37 in 100 of its 104 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Côte d’Ivoire: 67 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Congo: 57 in 100 of its 14 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Colombia: 39 in 100 of its 77 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Canada: 33 in 100 of its 2,439 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Cambodia: 44 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Belarus: 41 in 100 of its 96 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Azerbaijan: 48 in 100 of its 33 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Afghanistan: 71 in 100 of its 184 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Palestine: 35 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Palestine: 35 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)Palestine: 35 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 25)
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 25 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 much 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.