← 10 Dec Saturday 11 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 12 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,115 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 protests in Vienna (Austria), violence in Beirut and people injured in Armenia. Armenia's coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 50 in 100 of the stories about harm · much less than usual Country that rose mostLebanon 57 in 100 of its 81 stories, usually 34
RegionEast Asia 28 in 100 of its stories, usually 22
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 →
Protests & strikes

Austria

29 of its 46 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Vienna accounted for 19 of Austria's 29 stories about harm, carried by 25 outlets. 17 of Vienna's 19 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Austria over 30 days → its stories → Vienna stories →
Health

Armenia

17 of its 32 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Armenia over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Mexico

84 of its 208 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (38 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

29 of its 42 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Reports of arrests ran at about three 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

Afghanistan

128 of its 208 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Kabul accounted for 77 of Afghanistan's 128 stories about harm, carried by 112 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (27 stories).

its stories →
Health

Russia

153 of its 512 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Moscow accounted for 95 of Russia's 153 stories about harm, carried by 192 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Benin

11 of its 14 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

El Salvador

7 of its 9 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: tornadoes in US (747 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); helicopter crash in India (86 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); polio in Pakistan (22 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); storms in Canada (30 of its stories, about three times its usual); tsunami in UK (41 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 25 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10012 Nov19 Nov26 Nov3 Dec11 Dec12 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 10010 Dec: 25 in 10011 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 11 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 13,115 stories about harm among 48,209 counted on 11 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of tornadoes ran more than ten times their usual in the US's news. A year earlier, on 11 December 2020, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. Austria stood out: 63% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 51%. 27 in every 100 of the day's 48,209 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 25.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Afghanistan62 in 100 of its 208 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Lebanon57 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 34 · mostly conflict & violence South Africa53 in 100 of its 395 stories · usually 48 · mostly health Palestine49 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 50 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir49 in 100 of its 103 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US86 stories about protests or strikes, of its 591 Delhi India55 stories about protests or strikes, of its 203 Chicago US28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 161 London UK21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 250 New York US19 stories about protests or strikes, of its 145

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: too little coverage to readVanuatu: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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: too little coverage to readOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: 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: too little coverage to readWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLesotho: 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 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: too little coverage to readGuyana: 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 lessGeorgia: too little coverage to readGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readSt 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl 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: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readTunisia: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualNorway: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualIslamabad, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 46 stories, carried by 40 outletsSolihull, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 50 outletsNevada, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- health: 30 stories, carried by 19 outletsMaine, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 26 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 30 stories, carried by 42 outletsAthens, Greece -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 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

● Islamabad Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 46 stories ● Solihull UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Nevada US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 30 stories ● Maine US 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 →

Health50% 6,519 stories · much less than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice16% 2,140 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 2,138 stories · much more than usual (usually 9%) Conflict & violence7% 888 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 399 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 367 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 362 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 188 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 killed3,434 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected844 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests820 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured796 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Mexico Stories reporting refugees114 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations79 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions66 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced57 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill6 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 much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than 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.