← 23 Dec Thursday 24 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 25 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
18,742 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 violence in Tigray, people affected in Tunisia and people killed in Zambia. Ethiopia's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Reports of people falling ill ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and India →
Part of lifeHealth 61 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostEthiopia 81 in 100 of its 146 stories, usually 60
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
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

Ethiopia

118 of its 146 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Tigray accounted for 38 of Ethiopia's 118 stories about harm, carried by 36 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Illness was named in 31 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Ethiopia over 30 days → its stories → Tigray stories →
Disasters & accidents

Tunisia

49 of its 76 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (37 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Tunisia over 30 days → its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Zambia

20 of its 44 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Zambia over 30 days → its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Flooding was named in 129 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with landslides, hypothermia and power cuts. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

Iraq

133 of its 194 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Baghdad accounted for 103 of Iraq's 133 stories about harm, carried by 280 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

80 of its 191 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Mexico

122 of its 268 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Health

Argentina

34 of its 94 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Niger

21 of its 30 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. 3 of Niamey's 4 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Health

United Arab Emirates

67 of its 224 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Dubai accounted for 62 of the United Arab Emirates' 67 stories about harm, carried by 35 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: cyclone in Zimbabwe (16 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); flooding in Ireland (17 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); tsunami in Japan (14 of its stories, about three times its usual); road crashes in Israel (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in India (20 of its stories, about three times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 27 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10025 Nov2 Dec9 Dec16 Dec24 Dec25 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 10023 Dec: 27 in 10024 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 24 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 18,742 stories about harm among 69,771 counted on 24 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

People falling ill were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and India. 27 in every 100 of the day's 69,771 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. In Zimbabwe's news, mentions of the cyclone ran about 10 times their usual. A year earlier, on 25 December 2019, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. Ethiopia's news was 81% about people being harmed, against a usual 60%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Ethiopia81 in 100 of its 146 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq69 in 100 of its 194 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Tunisia64 in 100 of its 76 stories · usually 41 · mostly disasters & accidents Palestine57 in 100 of its 120 stories · usually 47 · mostly health Chile55 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 35 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US124 stories about protests or strikes, of its 770 Delhi India114 stories about protests or strikes, of its 317 London UK31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 436 Los Angeles US31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 208 Dover UK22 stories about protests or strikes, of its 95

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: feelings about like the world'sVietnam: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: feelings about like the world'sUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 readIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sUganda: feelings about like the world'sTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTrinidad & 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'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sSweden: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: feelings about like the world'sSuriname: too little coverage to readSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRomania: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readOman: feelings about like the world'sNorway: feelings about like the world'sNorth Korea: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: 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'sNamibia: feelings about like the world'sMorocco: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: feelings about like the world'sMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: feelings about like the world'sMali: feelings about like the world'sMalaysia: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: 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'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: feelings about like the world'sKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJordan: feelings about like the world'sJapan: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sPalestine: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHungary: feelings about like the world'sHaiti: feelings about like the world'sGuyana: 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'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: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: feelings about like the world'sFiji: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: 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'sGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCuba: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sComoros: feelings about like the world'sColombia: feelings about like the world'sChina: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChile: feelings about like the world'sChad: 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'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'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBosnia and Herzegovina: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBhutan: feelings about like the world'sBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAustria: 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 readAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sGaza: feelings about like the world'sWest Bank: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: feelings about like the world'sEast Jerusalem: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: feelings about like the world'sMarshall Islands: feelings about like the world'sNorthern 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 readBritish Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sTurks & 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: feelings about like the world'sCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: feelings about like the world'sMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: 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: feelings about like the world'sMayotte: too little coverage to readZambia: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sYemen: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sCayman Islands: coverage a little angrier than the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as 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'sTajikistan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSouth Sudan: coverage a little warmer than the world'sSudan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSri Lanka: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sSouth Africa: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSomalia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSingapore: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sSaudi Arabia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sRwanda: coverage a little angrier than the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sQatar: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPortugal: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPoland: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sNigeria: coverage a little warmer than the world'sNiger: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sNicaragua: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMozambique: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMexico: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMalawi: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLibya: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLebanon: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKyrgyzstan: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sJamaica: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sIsrael: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sIraq: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sIran: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sIndia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sHonduras: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGuinea: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGhana: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGermany: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sGeorgia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sFrance: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sEthiopia: coverage about 4 times as angry as the world'sEcuador: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sDR Congo: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCongo: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sCentral African Republic: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sMyanmar: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBrazil: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBelgium: coverage a little warmer than the world'sBelarus: coverage a little angrier than the world'sBarbados: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBangladesh: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBahrain: coverage a little warmer than the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAustralia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sArmenia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as 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 twice as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sBermuda: coverage a little warmer than 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

● Ethiopia about 4 times as angry as the world's · 118 stories about harm ● Kashmir about twice as fearful as the world's · 80 stories about harm ● Singapore about twice as fearful as the world's · 66 stories about harm ● Iraq about three times as angry as the world's · 133 stories about harm ● Afghanistan about three times as angry as the world's · 54 stories about harm ● Pakistan about one and a half times as fearful as the world's · 279 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health61% 11,382 stories · about as usual Rights & justice14% 2,562 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 1,894 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,177 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 737 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 410 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 229 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 195 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 killed5,223 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,365 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,218 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured917 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions152 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees142 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced134 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Ethiopia and the US Stories reporting evacuations73 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people falling ill63 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and India

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
● 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.