← 15 Dec Thursday 16 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
23,043 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 plane crash in the Dominican Republic, rights and justice in Tigray and people affected in Iran. the Dominican Republic's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was softer than usual.

Help and hope: reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostDominican Republic 76 in 100 of its 54 stories, usually 20
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 35 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Dominican Republic

41 of its 54 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Isabela accounted for 22 of the Dominican Republic's 41 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 7 times the usual rate (38 stories). Plane crash was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Dominican Republic over 30 days → its stories → Isabela stories →
Rights & justice

Ethiopia

57 of its 88 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Tigray accounted for 30 of Ethiopia's 57 stories about harm, carried by 61 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Ethiopia over 30 days → its stories → Tigray stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

84 of its 228 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (14 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Malaysia

145 of its 404 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (35 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Malaysia over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Rights & justice

North Korea

36 of its 69 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

335 of its 661 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (63 stories). Typhoon was named in 152 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flooding, landslides and heavy rain.

its stories →
Health

New Zealand

238 of its 560 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (18 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Australia

692 of its 2,265 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people injured ran at about 10 times the usual rate (63 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

Homesh accounted for 28 of Palestine's 46 stories about harm, carried by 45 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Cameroon

5 of Buea's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: typhoon in Philippines (152 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Morocco (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); tornadoes in US (770 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); hunger in India (16 of its stories, about three times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 26 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10017 Nov24 Nov1 Dec8 Dec16 Dec17 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 10012 Dec: 27 in 10013 Dec: 27 in 10014 Dec: 27 in 10015 Dec: 26 in 10016 Dec: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 23,043 stories about harm among 87,257 counted on 16 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Dominican Republic stood out: 76% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 20%. 26 in every 100 of the day's 87,257 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On the side of help, reports of people freed or reunited ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. On 16 December 2020, a year earlier, the share was 25 in every 100, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Haiti85 in 100 of its 110 stories · usually 66 · mostly rights & justice Dominican Republic76 in 100 of its 54 stories · usually 20 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia65 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 54 · mostly rights & justice Palestine57 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan56 in 100 of its 270 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US133 stories about protests or strikes, of its 825 Boston US35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 182 Delhi India32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 183 Manhattan US25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 165 Jerusalem Israel24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 109

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: 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 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: 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 lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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: too little coverage to readSouth Korea: 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: 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 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 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 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: too little coverage to readMali: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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 readCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte 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 readChina: 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 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: 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 lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualJapan: warmth about its own usualCyprus: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about one and a half times its own usualWoods Hole, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsArizona, US -- health: 29 stories, carried by 23 outletsGeneva, Switzerland -- health: 21 stories, carried by 36 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

● Bangladesh warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Woods Hole US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 29 stories ● Geneva Switzerland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 12,617 stories · about as usual Rights & justice15% 3,497 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 2,898 stories · more than usual (usually 10%) Conflict & violence6% 1,428 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 785 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 721 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 668 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 263 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 killed4,816 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,568 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,488 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured927 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions214 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Haiti and the US Stories reporting evacuations159 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and the US Stories reporting refugees155 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced120 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill9 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

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.