← 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.

Libya over 30 days → its stories → Tripoli stories →
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).

Fiji over 30 days → its 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.

its stories →
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.

its stories →
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.

its stories →
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.

its stories →
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.

its stories →
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.

its stories →

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 all →

Afghanistan65 in 100 of its 189 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Fiji59 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 44 · mostly disasters & accidents Sudan57 in 100 of its 97 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia55 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 60 · mostly rights & justice Libya55 in 100 of its 69 stories · usually 39 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US128 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1233 Delhi India78 stories about protests or strikes, of its 339 Jerusalem Israel35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 115 London UK33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 826 Salem US32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 43

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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 lessTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern 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 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 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: too little coverage to readLesotho: 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 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: too little coverage to readGabon: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte 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: too little coverage to readMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint 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 readTonga: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualKashmir: warmth about one and a half times its own usualAuckland, New Zealand -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsEllsworth, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 12 outletsKansas, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsKankara, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 26 stories, carried by 16 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 16 outletsKulgam, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 21 stories, carried by 21 outletsMadrid, Spain -- health: 26 stories, carried by 35 outletsMiddlesbrough, UK -- health: 23 stories, carried by 12 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

● Kashmir warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Auckland New Zealand about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Ellsworth US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Kansas US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Kankara Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 26 stories ● Jammu Kashmir about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health66% 15,558 stories · more than usual (usually 61%) Rights & justice14% 3,331 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents7% 1,690 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence5% 1,205 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 848 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 562 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 301 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 211 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 killed6,031 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,605 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,499 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,098 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions188 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees147 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced103 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations82 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill37 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 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

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.