← 21 Dec Tuesday 22 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,887 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 violence in Tripoli, illness in Taipei and people affected in Fiji. Ethiopia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 66 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostTaiwan 45 in 100 of its 176 stories, usually 26
RegionEurope 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 28
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 →
Conflict & violence

Libya

38 of its 69 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Tripoli accounted for 28 of Libya's 38 stories about harm, carried by 66 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Fiji

48 of its 81 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories).

6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Türkiye

105 of its 251 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Health

Thailand

114 of its 256 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Samut Sakhon accounted for 82 of Thailand's 114 stories about harm, carried by 80 outlets. Outbreaks were named in 75 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

Health

UK

2,925 of its 7,551 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Wildfires were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Health

United Arab Emirates

69 of its 275 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Health

Mexico

110 of its 313 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Conflict & violence

Sudan

Khartoum accounted for 36 of Sudan's 55 stories about harm, carried by 81 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Thailand (75 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); poisoning in Russia (75 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); ebola in DR Congo (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); respiratory illness in Italy (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Afghanistan (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 27 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10023 Nov30 Nov7 Dec14 Dec22 Dec23 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 10022 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 23,887 stories about harm among 88,158 counted on 22 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

It was the second day running that the news turned to Libya. of the day's 88,158 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. On 23 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 27 today. Libya's news was 55% about people being harmed, against a usual 39%.

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 lessVenezuela: 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: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: 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: no storiesUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: no storiesTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: 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 lessSaudi Arabia: 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 lessPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNiger: 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 storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: 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 lessMoldova: 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 lessMalaysia: 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 lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLebanon: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: 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 lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIran: 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 lessGermany: 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 storiesDenmark: 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 lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: 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 lessChad: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: 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 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 lessBelarus: 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 lessAzerbaijan: 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: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: 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: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: no storiesJersey: 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: no storiesAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: near the world's share or lessSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: near the world's share or lessYemen: 63 in 100 of its 27 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)UK: 39 in 100 of its 7,551 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Uganda: 38 in 100 of its 117 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Türkiye: 42 in 100 of its 251 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Tunisia: 45 in 100 of its 47 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Thailand: 45 in 100 of its 256 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Taiwan: 45 in 100 of its 176 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Syria: 51 in 100 of its 94 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Sudan: 57 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)South Africa: 39 in 100 of its 660 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Somalia: 42 in 100 of its 43 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Slovenia: 56 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Rwanda: 49 in 100 of its 35 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Philippines: 45 in 100 of its 585 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)North Korea: 67 in 100 of its 18 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Nigeria: 35 in 100 of its 1,287 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Mongolia: 65 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Mexico: 35 in 100 of its 313 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Mali: 56 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Malawi: 45 in 100 of its 40 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Libya: 55 in 100 of its 69 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Israel: 38 in 100 of its 532 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 41 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Iraq: 51 in 100 of its 100 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Indonesia: 42 in 100 of its 139 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Honduras: 70 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Fiji: 59 in 100 of its 81 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Ethiopia: 55 in 100 of its 92 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Ecuador: 64 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)DR Congo: 53 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Congo: 52 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Chile: 47 in 100 of its 146 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Central African Republic: 64 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Afghanistan: 65 in 100 of its 189 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 41 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 41 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)Palestine: 41 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 27)
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 27 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
● Feara little more than 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.