← 28 Dec Tuesday 29 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 30 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,228 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 the earthquake in Croatia, protests in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and people killed in Mali. Croatia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostCroatia 77 in 100 of its 327 stories, usually 31
RegionEurope 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 29
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Croatia

252 of its 327 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Petrinja accounted for 192 of Croatia's 252 stories about harm, carried by 487 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (140 stories). Earthquake was named in 249 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual, with power cuts. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Croatia over 30 days → its stories → Petrinja stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

24 of its 27 stories (89%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Mali over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Sudan

24 of its 38 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. 6 of Darfur's 11 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Mexico

112 of its 281 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (17 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 →
Health

Iran

85 of its 146 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Tehran accounted for 50 of Iran's 85 stories about harm, carried by 100 outlets. Outbreaks were named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with polio.

its stories →
Health

Ethiopia

Tigray accounted for 30 of Ethiopia's 54 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 9 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Argentina

42 of its 97 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

South Africa

224 of its 505 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Mozambique (11 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); outbreaks in Iran (17 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); extreme cold in India (20 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); extreme cold in UK (26 of its stories, about 8 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 29 the day before
31 in 10024 in 10030 Nov7 Dec14 Dec21 Dec29 Dec30 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 10029 Dec: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 29 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 21,228 stories about harm among 74,315 counted on 29 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

In Croatia, 77% of the news was about people being harmed, where 31% is usual. the news turned to Croatia for the second day running. A year earlier, on 30 December 2019, 21 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 29 today. of the day's 74,315 news stories, 29 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 →

Croatia77 in 100 of its 327 stories · usually 31 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia63 in 100 of its 86 stories · usually 62 · mostly health Iran58 in 100 of its 146 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Fiji58 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 49 · mostly disasters & accidents Afghanistan57 in 100 of its 140 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US126 stories about protests or strikes, of its 837 Delhi India66 stories about protests or strikes, of its 252 Wuhan China54 stories about protests or strikes, of its 199 Riyadh Saudi Arabia35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 45 Beijing China33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 147

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: near the world's share or lessCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTunisia: 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: near the world's share or lessTanzania: 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 lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSomalia: 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 lessRwanda: 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 lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: no storiesPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: 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: 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 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 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 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: 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: 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 lessEcuador: 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 lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: 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 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 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: near the world's share or lessMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & 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: near the world's share or lessZimbabwe: 43 in 100 of its 146 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Yemen: 52 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Türkiye: 39 in 100 of its 188 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Thailand: 46 in 100 of its 183 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Syria: 46 in 100 of its 61 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)South Sudan: 57 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Sudan: 63 in 100 of its 38 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)South Korea: 38 in 100 of its 349 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)South Africa: 44 in 100 of its 505 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Saudi Arabia: 46 in 100 of its 206 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Russia: 36 in 100 of its 828 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Philippines: 45 in 100 of its 585 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Papua New Guinea: 58 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Nigeria: 40 in 100 of its 1,008 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Mozambique: 71 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Mexico: 40 in 100 of its 281 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Mali: 89 in 100 of its 27 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Lebanon: 43 in 100 of its 114 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Kuwait: 44 in 100 of its 50 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Israel: 43 in 100 of its 469 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 55 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Iraq: 45 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Iran: 58 in 100 of its 146 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Indonesia: 56 in 100 of its 134 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Honduras: 56 in 100 of its 18 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Guatemala: 60 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Greece: 42 in 100 of its 149 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Fiji: 58 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Ethiopia: 63 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Egypt: 42 in 100 of its 151 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Cuba: 61 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Croatia: 77 in 100 of its 327 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Chile: 47 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Central African Republic: 94 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Bangladesh: 53 in 100 of its 261 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Argentina: 43 in 100 of its 97 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Afghanistan: 57 in 100 of its 140 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 55 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 55 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 29)Palestine: 55 in 100 of its 78 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.

Most of its news about harm

● Croatia 77 in 100 of its 327 stories · mostly disasters & accidents ● Iran 58 in 100 of its 146 stories · mostly health ● Ethiopia 63 in 100 of its 86 stories · mostly health ● Afghanistan 57 in 100 of its 140 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Bangladesh 53 in 100 of its 261 stories · mostly health ● Indonesia 56 in 100 of its 134 stories · mostly health

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health62% 12,996 stories · about as usual Rights & justice13% 2,815 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,188 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,176 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 991 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 388 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 255 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 250 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 killed6,148 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,445 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Croatia Stories reporting arrests1,437 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,371 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees155 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions151 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced126 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations112 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and New Zealand Stories reporting people falling ill29 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 about as 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

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.