← 7 Dec Wednesday 8 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 9 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,582 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 a disaster in Gitega, people injured in Mali and protests in Mandalay (Myanmar). Mali's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Language across the world's news ran about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMorocco 41 in 100 of its 59 stories, usually 25
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
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

Burundi

21 of its 26 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Gitega accounted for 15 of Burundi's 21 stories about harm, carried by 16 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Burundi over 30 days → its stories → Gitega stories →
Conflict & violence

Mali

24 of its 38 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Mali over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Norway

47 of its 155 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Outbreaks were named in 17 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

Ethiopia

49 of its 72 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Tigray accounted for 38 of Ethiopia's 49 stories about harm, carried by 69 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

India

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Helicopter crash was named in 213 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

Jammu accounted for 33 of Kashmir's 49 stories about harm, carried by 20 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Displacement

Afghanistan

Kabul accounted for 77 of Afghanistan's 132 stories about harm, carried by 94 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate (21 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Senegal

17 of its 27 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Dakar accounted for 15 of Senegal's 17 stories about harm, carried by 19 outlets.

its stories →
Health

South Africa

612 of its 1,141 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: helicopter crash in India (213 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Ireland (44 of its stories, about three times its usual); earthquake in Germany (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); polio in Nigeria (11 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); tsunami in US (43 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 25 the day before
28 in 10024 in 1009 Nov16 Nov23 Nov30 Nov8 Dec9 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 1005 Dec: 27 in 1006 Dec: 26 in 1007 Dec: 25 in 1008 Dec: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 8 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 22,582 stories about harm among 90,378 counted on 8 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

It was the second day running that the news turned to Burundi. of the day's 90,378 news stories, 25 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Norway's news mentioned outbreaks about three times as often as usual. Burundi's news was 81% about people being harmed, against a usual 45%. A year earlier, on 8 December 2020, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Myanmar79 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice Ethiopia68 in 100 of its 72 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence South Africa54 in 100 of its 1,141 stories · usually 46 · mostly health Kashmir53 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Cambodia52 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 50 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US142 stories about protests or strikes, of its 807 Chicago US39 stories about protests or strikes, of its 288 London UK38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 475 New York US37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 302 Jerusalem Israel36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 124

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: too little coverage to readZambia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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 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: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSamoa: 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 lessRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: 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 lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: too little coverage to readLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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 lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: too little coverage to readGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: 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: too little coverage to readN. 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: 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: too little coverage to readChile: too little coverage to readChad: 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 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: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlgeria: 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 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 readCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: 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: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualMyanmar: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualKashmir: warmth about its own usualDakar, Senegal -- health: 15 stories, carried by 19 outletsCasco Bay, US -- health: 16 stories, carried by 21 outletsMaine, US -- health: 35 stories, carried by 29 outletsBeirut, Lebanon -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 33 outletsTowie, UK -- health: 17 stories, carried by 59 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 20 stories, carried by 17 outletsHamburg, Germany -- health: 31 stories, carried by 116 outletsJammu, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 33 stories, carried by 20 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

● Dakar Senegal about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Casco Bay US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Maine US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 35 stories ● Beirut Lebanon about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 19 stories ● Towie UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 12,780 stories · about as usual Rights & justice17% 3,826 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 2,063 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,466 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 742 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 588 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 571 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 353 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 killed4,825 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,537 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,486 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured997 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees173 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced138 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions113 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations89 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and Indonesia Stories reporting people falling ill18 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 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 →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.