← 27 Dec Monday 28 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 29 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
18,320 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 earthquake in Croatia, protests in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and rights and justice in Tigray. Ethiopia's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Australia →
Part of lifeHealth 60 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSaudi Arabia 55 in 100 of its 332 stories, usually 32
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 35
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Croatia

32 of its 51 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Zagreb accounted for 30 of Croatia's 32 stories about harm, carried by 91 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (16 stories). Earthquake was named in 27 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Protests & strikes

Saudi Arabia

184 of its 332 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. 59 of Riyadh's 79 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (76 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Rights & justice

Ethiopia

101 of its 130 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Tigray accounted for 78 of Ethiopia's 101 stories about harm, carried by 131 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Health

Israel

184 of its 406 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Jerusalem accounted for 112 of Israel's 184 stories about harm, carried by 60 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 5 times the usual rate (15 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Iran

98 of its 170 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Tehran accounted for 50 of Iran's 98 stories about harm, carried by 96 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (16 stories). Avalanche was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Disasters & accidents

Chile

41 of its 65 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Earthquake was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with tsunami.

Health

Russia

271 of its 708 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people affected ran at about 5 times the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

North Macedonia

11 of its 24 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Sudan

33 of its 48 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Kashmir

49 of its 118 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Chile (25 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in Bangladesh (17 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); avalanche in Iran (16 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in China (45 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); power cuts in Ireland (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 31 the day before
31 in 10024 in 10029 Nov6 Dec13 Dec20 Dec28 Dec29 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 10025 Dec: 28 in 10026 Dec: 30 in 10027 Dec: 31 in 10028 Dec: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 28 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 18,320 stories about harm among 63,938 counted on 28 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual in Croatia's news. of the day's 63,938 news stories, 29 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. Evacuations were reported at about three times the usual rate, most often about the US and Australia. Croatia's news was 63% about people being harmed, against a usual 28%. On 29 December 2019, a year earlier, the share was 22 in every 100, against 29 today.

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: no storiesU.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: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: no storiesTrinidad & 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 lessTaiwan: 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 lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: 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 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 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: no storiesOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: near the world's share or lessNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: 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 lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: 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 lessMalawi: 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 lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: 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 lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: no storiesKenya: 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 lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: 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 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: no storiesFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: no storiesNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench 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 lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: no storiesDjibouti: 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 lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: no storiesCongo: 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: no storiesCanada: 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 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 lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: 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 lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: no storiesNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: near the world's share or lessSt. 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: near the world's share or lessAruba: 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: no storiesSt. 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: no storiesYemen: 79 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Uganda: 52 in 100 of its 91 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Türkiye: 39 in 100 of its 194 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Tunisia: 67 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Thailand: 48 in 100 of its 176 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Syria: 63 in 100 of its 62 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Sudan: 69 in 100 of its 48 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)South Korea: 46 in 100 of its 371 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)South Africa: 51 in 100 of its 529 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Somalia: 52 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Saudi Arabia: 55 in 100 of its 332 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Rwanda: 57 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Russia: 38 in 100 of its 708 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Romania: 48 in 100 of its 79 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Philippines: 47 in 100 of its 551 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Pakistan: 37 in 100 of its 698 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Nigeria: 38 in 100 of its 1,099 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Niger: 54 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Mozambique: 67 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Mali: 82 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Lebanon: 49 in 100 of its 84 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kuwait: 53 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Israel: 45 in 100 of its 406 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 51 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Iraq: 47 in 100 of its 64 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Iran: 58 in 100 of its 170 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Indonesia: 46 in 100 of its 112 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Hungary: 56 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Honduras: 80 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Greece: 41 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Fiji: 63 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Ethiopia: 78 in 100 of its 130 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Croatia: 63 in 100 of its 51 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Chile: 63 in 100 of its 65 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Central African Republic: 82 in 100 of its 38 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Cameroon: 71 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Bangladesh: 43 in 100 of its 208 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Argentina: 42 in 100 of its 62 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Afghanistan: 61 in 100 of its 152 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 118 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 51 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 51 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 118 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 118 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 51 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kashmir: 42 in 100 of its 118 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)
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 29 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 much harsher 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.