← 2 Dec Friday 3 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 4 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,034 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 arrests in Libya, illness in Oslo and protests in Honiara (Solomon Islands). North Macedonia's coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 60 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostLibya 51 in 100 of its 63 stories, usually 28
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
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 →
Conflict & violence

Libya

32 of its 63 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Norway

49 of its 173 stories (28%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Oslo accounted for 36 of Norway's 49 stories about harm, carried by 40 outlets. Outbreaks were named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual.

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

Benin

9 of its 10 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

55 of its 87 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (39 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 →
Health

South Africa

675 of its 1,267 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Zimbabwe

88 of its 202 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Outbreaks were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Health

Brazil

50 of its 160 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Belgium

41 of its 125 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Brussels accounted for 27 of Belgium's 41 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: snowstorms in Denmark (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Kenya (10 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); outbreaks in Zimbabwe (13 of its stories, about three times its usual); cyclone in India (77 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); cyclone in Australia (12 of its stories, about three times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 25 the day before
28 in 10024 in 1004 Nov11 Nov18 Nov25 Nov3 Dec4 Nov: 24 in 1005 Nov: 24 in 1006 Nov: 25 in 1007 Nov: 26 in 1008 Nov: 25 in 1009 Nov: 25 in 10010 Nov: 24 in 10011 Nov: 24 in 10012 Nov: 24 in 10013 Nov: 26 in 10014 Nov: 24 in 10015 Nov: 25 in 10016 Nov: 24 in 10017 Nov: 24 in 10018 Nov: 24 in 10019 Nov: 24 in 10020 Nov: 25 in 10021 Nov: 25 in 10022 Nov: 25 in 10023 Nov: 25 in 10024 Nov: 25 in 10025 Nov: 25 in 10026 Nov: 26 in 10027 Nov: 27 in 10028 Nov: 28 in 10029 Nov: 27 in 10030 Nov: 26 in 1001 Dec: 26 in 1002 Dec: 25 in 1003 Dec: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 3 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 22,034 stories about harm among 85,109 counted on 3 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Of the day's 85,109 news stories, 26 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 3 December 2020, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Iraq63 in 100 of its 87 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine59 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 50 · mostly health Syria58 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia58 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence South Africa53 in 100 of its 1,267 stories · usually 42 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US136 stories about protests or strikes, of its 964 Chicago US37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 215 Los Angeles US35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 191 Sialkot Pakistan28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 61 London UK28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 304

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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: 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: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: too little coverage to readSyria: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: too little coverage to readNorway: 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 readCuraçao: 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: 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 lessMalaysia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: 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: 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 lessIndonesia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: 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: too little coverage to readBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia 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: 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 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 lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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 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 lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readUkraine: warmth about its own usualUganda: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualGhana: warmth about its own usualAustria: warmth about its own usualArgentina: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualRhode Island, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsChiwenga, Zimbabwe -- health: 11 stories, carried by 16 outletsGrand Rapids, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 26 outletsMerseyside, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 10 outletsAccra, Ghana -- health: 42 stories, carried by 12 outletsBicester, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsJeddah, Saudi Arabia -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 14 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 15 stories, carried by 13 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

● Rhode Island US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Chiwenga Zimbabwe about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Grand Rapids US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Merseyside UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Accra Ghana about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 42 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health60% 13,038 stories · more than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice17% 3,700 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,655 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,401 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 634 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 616 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 531 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 273 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 killed4,321 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,486 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,460 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,101 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees150 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations123 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions105 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and the US Stories reporting people displaced82 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting people falling ill15 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

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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.