← 15 Dec Wednesday 16 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
25,403 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 the cyclone in Fiji, abductions in Pakistan and violence in Kabul. Afghanistan's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and France →
Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostFiji 73 in 100 of its 138 stories, usually 28
RegionCentral Asia 39 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Fiji

101 of its 138 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (12 stories). Cyclone was named in 80 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with heavy rain, flooding and storms.

Fiji over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Pakistan

Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Natural hazards were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

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

Egypt

Cairo accounted for 54 of Egypt's 71 stories about harm, carried by 55 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Cholera was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Namibia

15 of its 23 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Health

Jersey

33 of its 86 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Power cuts were named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Health

Bahrain

28 of its 91 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Tunisia

Tunis accounted for 21 of Tunisia's 28 stories about harm, carried by 9 outlets. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Azerbaijan

Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cholera in Egypt (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); power cuts in Jersey (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Russia (32 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); earthquake in Philippines (28 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); helicopter crash in New Zealand (13 of its stories, about 10 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 25 the day before
30 in 10024 in 10015 Nov24 Nov1 Dec8 Dec16 Dec15 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 10016 Dec: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 25,403 stories about harm among 100,717 counted on 16 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Fiji's news was 73% about people being harmed, against a usual 28%. of the day's 100,717 news stories, 25 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Abductions were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and France. Mentions of the cyclone ran about 4 times their usual in Fiji's news. On 17 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 17 in every 100, against 25 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Fiji73 in 100 of its 138 stories · usually 28 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia64 in 100 of its 107 stories · usually 61 · mostly displacement Iraq62 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 51 · mostly health Afghanistan58 in 100 of its 154 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Iran52 in 100 of its 222 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US156 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1158 Delhi India87 stories about protests or strikes, of its 291 London UK40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 576 Houston US39 stories about protests or strikes, of its 149 Katsina Nigeria32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 122

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVietnam: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: feelings about like the world'sMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sPuerto Rico: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: feelings about like the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: feelings about like the world'sTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSpain: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSaudi Arabia: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRwanda: feelings about like the world'sQatar: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: feelings about like the world'sPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPalau: feelings about like the world'sOman: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: feelings about like the world'sMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMexico: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: feelings about like the world'sMalta: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLiberia: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: feelings about like the world'sHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuatemala: feelings about like the world'sGrenada: feelings about like the world'sGreece: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: feelings about like the world'sSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: feelings about like the world'sFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEgypt: feelings about like the world'sDominican Republic: feelings about like the world'sDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sDR Congo: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readChina: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sCameroon: feelings about like the world'sCambodia: feelings about like the world'sMyanmar: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: feelings about like the world'sBulgaria: feelings about like the world'sBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: feelings about like the world'sAustria: feelings about like the world'sAustralia: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: feelings about like the world'sAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: too little coverage to readAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Free Zone): feelings about like the world'sMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican 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: feelings about like the world'sBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: feelings about like the world'sGuernsey: feelings about like the world'sSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sYemen: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sVenezuela: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sUkraine: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sUganda: coverage a little angrier than the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTunisia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTaiwan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSwitzerland: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSweden: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSudan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about three times as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Korea: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSomalia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSlovakia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sSingapore: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSierra Leone: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sRomania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPoland: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPhilippines: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPeru: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPanama: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPakistan: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sNorth Korea: coverage a little angrier than the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNiger: coverage a little angrier than the world'sNew Zealand: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNamibia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMozambique: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMali: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMadagascar: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sLithuania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLibya: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLebanon: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sKenya: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKazakhstan: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sJordan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sJapan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sJamaica: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIsrael: coverage a little angrier than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sIraq: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIndonesia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sIndia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sGuyana: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGuinea: coverage a little angrier than the world'sGermany: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sGeorgia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sFrance: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sFinland: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sFiji: coverage a little angrier than the world'sEthiopia: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sEcuador: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sGreenland: coverage a little warmer than the world'sDenmark: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCzechia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCuba: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCongo: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sColombia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sChad: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sCentral African Republic: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sBotswana: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBelize: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBelgium: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sBelarus: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sBarbados: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBangladesh: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sBahrain: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sBahamas: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sArmenia: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sAlgeria: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAlbania: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sUkraine: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPalestine: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sVatican City: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMaldives: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Sri Lanka about three times as grief-stricken as the world's · 90 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about three times as angry as the world's · 89 stories about harm ● France about three times as angry as the world's · 218 stories about harm ● Pakistan about three times as angry as the world's · 323 stories about harm ● Bahrain few stories about twice as fearful as the world's · 28 stories about harm ● Belarus few stories about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 46 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health62% 15,606 stories · about as usual Rights & justice15% 3,866 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 2,339 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence5% 1,342 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 882 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 616 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 302 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 242 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 killed6,363 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,727 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,591 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,180 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions357 at about twice the usual rate · most about Nigeria and France Stories reporting people displaced156 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees156 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations61 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Fiji and the US Stories reporting people falling ill36 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 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.