← 3 Dec Saturday 4 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 5 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,684 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 volcanic eruption in Indonesia, violence in Bandiagara and arrests in Pakistan. Mali's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostIndonesia 70 in 100 of its 168 stories, usually 37
RegionCentral Asia 48 in 100 of its stories, usually 34
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

Indonesia

118 of its 168 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Lumajang accounted for 50 of Indonesia's 118 stories about harm, carried by 209 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (32 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 89 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with earthquake, tsunami and landslides.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories → Lumajang stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

35 of its 38 stories (92%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Bandiagara accounted for 23 of Mali's 35 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Mali over 30 days → its stories → Bandiagara stories →
Rights & justice

Pakistan

235 of its 539 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (83 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Pakistan over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Kenya

36 of its 91 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (19 stories). Flooding was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with drownings.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Türkiye

6 of Istanbul's 10 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

South Africa

315 of its 533 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Botswana

20 of its 25 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. HIV was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

its stories →
Health

Brazil

44 of its 116 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. HIV was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

30 of its 50 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: natural hazards in Spain (39 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); hiv in Botswana (12 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); flooding in Kenya (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hiv in Brazil (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in India (70 of its stories, about 9 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 26 the day before
28 in 10024 in 1005 Nov12 Nov19 Nov26 Nov4 Dec5 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 1004 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 4 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 12,684 stories about harm among 47,525 counted on 4 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Indonesia's news mentioned volcanic eruption more than ten times as often as usual. 27 in every 100 of the day's 47,525 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 25. In Indonesia, 70% of the news was about people being harmed, where 37% is usual. On 4 December 2020, a year earlier, the share was 25 in every 100, against 27 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Indonesia70 in 100 of its 168 stories · usually 37 · mostly disasters & accidents Syria62 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq60 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 48 · mostly conflict & violence South Africa59 in 100 of its 533 stories · usually 44 · mostly health Afghanistan59 in 100 of its 192 stories · usually 54 · mostly displacement

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US76 stories about protests or strikes, of its 479 Sialkot Pakistan25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 75 Melbourne Australia22 stories about protests or strikes, of its 41 Lagos Nigeria20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 54 Delhi India19 stories about protests or strikes, of its 153

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: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 lessUkraine: 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: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPhilippines: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: 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: too little coverage to readMalawi: 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: too little coverage to readLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: too little coverage to readChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape 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: too little coverage to readBurkina 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: 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: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: too little coverage to readBahrain: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: 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 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: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: 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: too little coverage to readSan 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk 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 readUganda: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualBerkshire, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsMinnesota, US -- health: 20 stories, carried by 26 outletsDoha, Qatar -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsBoise, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 37 outletsInverness, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsDhaka, Bangladesh -- health: 25 stories, carried by 11 outletsBanjul, Gambia -- rights & justice: 18 stories, carried by 122 outletsRome, Italy -- health: 14 stories, carried by 14 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

● Berkshire UK about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Minnesota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories ● Doha Qatar about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Boise US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Inverness UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 6,987 stories · about as usual Rights & justice17% 2,118 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 1,147 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence9% 1,105 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 410 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 310 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 290 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 223 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 killed2,991 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,033 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests937 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured766 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees117 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Greece and Afghanistan Stories reporting evacuations104 at about twice the usual rate · most about India and the US Stories reporting abductions79 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced70 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill12 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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 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

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.