← 30 Dec Thursday 31 December 2020 · to 23:59 UTC 1 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,849 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 →

Landslides in Norway, violence in Sanaa and protests in Santiago de Puringla (Honduras) drew the news. Yemen's coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 64 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostNorway 61 in 100 of its 106 stories, usually 21
RegionEast Asia 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
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

Norway

65 of its 106 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Oslo accounted for 47 of Norway's 65 stories about harm, carried by 62 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (46 stories). Landslides were named in 47 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

Norway over 30 days → its stories → Oslo stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

130 of its 138 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Sanaa accounted for 74 of Yemen's 130 stories about harm, carried by 149 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (97 stories). Its coverage was about 4 times as angry as the world's.

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

Syria

67 of its 90 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (30 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Croatia

45 of its 68 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Petrinja accounted for 36 of Croatia's 45 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

Tehran accounted for 76 of Iran's 114 stories about harm, carried by 140 outlets. Plane crash was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. 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.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Argentina

60 of its 117 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. 19 of Buenos Aires' 33 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

72 of its 132 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Australia

482 of its 1,338 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Tunisia (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); cyclone in Zimbabwe (10 of its stories, about three times its usual); volcanic eruption in Philippines (15 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); plane crash in Iran (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); snowstorms in Japan (12 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 29 the day before
31 in 10024 in 1002 Dec9 Dec16 Dec23 Dec31 Dec2 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 10030 Dec: 29 in 10031 Dec: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 31 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 20,849 stories about harm among 72,370 counted on 31 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Norway's news was 61% about people being harmed, against a usual 21%. On 1 January 2020, a year earlier, the share was 21 in every 100, against 29 today. Stories about people being harmed made up 29 in every 100 of the day's 72,370 stories, above the usual 27.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen94 in 100 of its 138 stories · usually 65 · mostly conflict & violence Syria74 in 100 of its 90 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Croatia66 in 100 of its 68 stories · usually 49 · mostly disasters & accidents Palestine62 in 100 of its 60 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence Norway61 in 100 of its 106 stories · usually 21 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US111 stories about protests or strikes, of its 638 Beijing China53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 302 Chicago US42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 172 Delhi India37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 310 Karak Pakistan29 stories about protests or strikes, of its 40

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: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited 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 lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth 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 lessSpain: 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: too little coverage to readSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: 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: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: 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 lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: 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: too little coverage to readFrench 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readCosta 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: 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: too little coverage to readHeard & 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: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: 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): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualGreece: warmth about its own usualReno, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 42 outletsDarfur, Sudan -- displacement: 29 stories, carried by 35 outletsArizona, US -- health: 33 stories, carried by 25 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 70 stories, carried by 64 outletsBerkshire, UK -- health: 40 stories, carried by 21 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- health: 17 stories, carried by 11 outletsAthens, Greece -- health: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsCanberra, Australia -- health: 10 stories, carried by 26 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

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Reno US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Darfur Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · displacement · 29 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 33 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 70 stories ● Berkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 40 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health64% 13,329 stories · more than usual (usually 61%) Rights & justice13% 2,761 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 1,940 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,234 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 763 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 334 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 186 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 150 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 killed6,117 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,437 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,335 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,217 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced141 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about India and Sudan Stories reporting refugees128 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions120 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting evacuations95 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Norway and the US Stories reporting people falling ill28 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.