← 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.

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 lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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 lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: 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: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: 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 lessMorocco: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: 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: too little coverage to readMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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 lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: too little coverage to readCôte 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: too little coverage to readHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: too little coverage to readGaza: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: 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: 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 readSweden: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualEgypt: warmth about its own usualGreenland: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about one and a half times its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualDistrict of Columbia, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsChibok, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 31 stories, carried by 32 outletsIdaho, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 21 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 66 stories, carried by 116 outletsSaskatchewan, Canada -- health: 24 stories, carried by 18 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 37 stories, carried by 20 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

● Belarus warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● District of Columbia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● Chibok Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 31 stories ● Idaho US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Edinburgh UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 66 stories ● Saskatchewan Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 24 stories

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.