← 8 Dec Thursday 9 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 10 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,591 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to violence in Bandiagara, protests in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and illness in South Africa. Burkina Faso's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMali 65 in 100 of its 55 stories, usually 46
RegionSoutheast Asia 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 38
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Mali

36 of its 55 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Bandiagara accounted for 23 of Mali's 36 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

Mali over 30 days → its stories → Bandiagara stories →
Health

South Africa

577 of its 1,078 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Flu was named in 28 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

South Sudan

24 of its 35 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

New Zealand

Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (96 stories). Natural hazards were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

316 of its 641 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iraq

Baghdad accounted for 30 of Iraq's 65 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Tunisia

Tunis accounted for 28 of Tunisia's 34 stories about harm, carried by 10 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Health

UK

Bird flu was named in 38 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. 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 (268 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); earthquake in Japan (22 of its stories, about three times its usual); natural hazards in New Zealand (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); bird flu in UK (38 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); snowstorms in US (118 of its stories, about three times its usual).

25 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 25 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10010 Nov17 Nov24 Nov1 Dec9 Dec10 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 1009 Dec: 25 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 9 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 22,591 stories about harm among 90,287 counted on 9 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

For the second day running, the news turned to Mali. Stories about people being harmed made up 25 in every 100 of the day's 90,287 stories, as usual. Mali's news was 65% about people being harmed, against a usual 46%. A year earlier, on 9 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 →

Mali65 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence South Africa54 in 100 of its 1,078 stories · usually 47 · mostly health Afghanistan53 in 100 of its 191 stories · usually 54 · mostly displacement Iraq51 in 100 of its 128 stories · usually 46 · mostly conflict & violence Cambodia50 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 51 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US139 stories about protests or strikes, of its 873 Delhi India67 stories about protests or strikes, of its 226 Beijing China65 stories about protests or strikes, of its 197 Chicago US36 stories about protests or strikes, of its 239 London UK34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 419

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: too little coverage to readYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: too little coverage to readVenezuela: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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 lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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 lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: too little coverage to readMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: 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: 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 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: 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 readEgypt: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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 readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about one and a half times its own usualEl Salvador: warmth about its own usualBelgium: warmth about its own usualBandiagara, Mali -- conflict & violence: 23 stories, carried by 39 outletsAndroscoggin County, US -- health: 22 stories, carried by 15 outletsWorcester, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 18 outletsOslo, Norway -- health: 16 stories, carried by 18 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 26 stories, carried by 17 outletsDover, UK -- health: 14 stories, carried by 23 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 76 stories, carried by 154 outletsDoha, Qatar -- health: 16 stories, carried by 41 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

● Mali warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Bandiagara Mali about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 23 stories ● Androscoggin County US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 22 stories ● Worcester US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Oslo Norway about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Dubai United Arab Emirates about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 12,756 stories · about as usual Rights & justice17% 3,837 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents9% 2,117 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence7% 1,597 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 696 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 588 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 531 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 284 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 killed4,909 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,548 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,356 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,001 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees150 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced136 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions110 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations75 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Afghanistan Stories reporting people falling ill13 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 softer 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.