← 20 Dec Monday 21 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,637 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 news turned to violence in Tripoli, people killed in Denmark and people affected in Fiji. Libya's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 66 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostLibya 74 in 100 of its 125 stories, usually 36
RegionCentral Asia 47 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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 →
Conflict & violence

Libya

92 of its 125 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Tripoli accounted for 54 of Libya's 92 stories about harm, carried by 189 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (31 stories). Illness was named in 62 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories → Tripoli stories →
Health

Denmark

47 of its 84 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (25 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Denmark over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Fiji

57 of its 88 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories).

Fiji over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Tunisia

31 of its 49 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Tunis accounted for 24 of Tunisia's 31 stories about harm, carried by 20 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories). Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

UK

3,480 of its 8,184 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Train derailment was named in 15 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with hurricane. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Central African Republic

28 of its 40 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Bangui accounted for 24 of the Central African Republic's 28 stories about harm, carried by 36 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Jamaica

62 of its 143 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

118 of its 160 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Hunger was named in 26 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Thailand

92 of its 217 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Bangkok accounted for 69 of Thailand's 92 stories about harm, carried by 66 outlets. Outbreaks were named in 58 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Thailand (58 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); outbreaks in Australia (208 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hurricane in Puerto Rico (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hunger in Afghanistan (26 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); poisoning in Russia (44 of its stories, about three times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 28 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10022 Nov29 Nov6 Dec13 Dec21 Dec22 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 10017 Dec: 25 in 10018 Dec: 25 in 10019 Dec: 28 in 10020 Dec: 28 in 10021 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 21,637 stories about harm among 79,516 counted on 21 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Libya stood out: 74% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 36%. On 22 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 20 in every 100, against 27 today. of the day's 79,516 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 26.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan74 in 100 of its 160 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Libya74 in 100 of its 125 stories · usually 36 · mostly conflict & violence Fiji65 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 43 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria58 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Denmark56 in 100 of its 84 stories · usually 32 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US121 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1042 Delhi India54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 231 London UK41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1331 Beijing China30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 111 Chicago US19 stories about protests or strikes, of its 139

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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: 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 lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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: too little coverage to readCuraçao: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readIraq: 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: too little coverage to readHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: 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 lessBrazil: 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 lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: too little coverage to readAruba: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: about as warm as its own usual or lessSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readVietnam: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualBrunei: warmth about its own usualTulsa, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 14 outletsArizona, US -- rights & justice: 28 stories, carried by 22 outletsNottingham, UK -- health: 23 stories, carried by 12 outletsColchester, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsKankara, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 31 stories, carried by 22 outletsBangui, Central African Republic -- conflict & violence: 24 stories, carried by 36 outletsChhattisgarh, India -- health: 17 stories, carried by 16 outletsBarcelona, Spain -- health: 20 stories, carried by 14 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Tulsa US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 28 stories ● Nottingham UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 23 stories ● Colchester UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Kankara Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 31 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health66% 14,204 stories · much more than usual (usually 61%) Rights & justice13% 2,727 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Disasters & accidents8% 1,699 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,219 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 769 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 388 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 259 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 214 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 killed5,590 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,409 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,190 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured963 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions200 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting refugees120 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced104 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations72 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill23 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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 about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than usual
● Fearabout one and a half times 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

Read the week →

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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.