← 16 Dec Friday 17 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 18 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,260 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 the hunger in North Korea, violence in Homesh and the typhoon in the Philippines. Ethiopia's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 59 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostNorth Korea 53 in 100 of its 108 stories, usually 32
RegionCentral Asia 36 in 100 of its stories, usually 32
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 →
Health

North Korea

57 of its 108 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Pyongyang accounted for 33 of North Korea's 57 stories about harm, carried by 138 outlets. Hunger was named in 17 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

North Korea over 30 days → its stories → Pyongyang stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

69 of its 95 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Homesh accounted for 35 of Palestine's 69 stories about harm, carried by 31 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (37 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Palestine over 30 days → its stories → Homesh stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

362 of its 641 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Philippine accounted for 134 of the Philippines' 362 stories about harm, carried by 127 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (14 stories). Typhoon was named in 207 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with storms, landslides and cyclone.

Philippines over 30 days → its stories → Philippine stories →
Rights & justice

Ethiopia

74 of its 118 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Tigray accounted for 60 of Ethiopia's 74 stories about harm, carried by 141 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (13 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

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

Chile

38 of its 86 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Iraq

57 of its 90 stories (63%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Heavy rain was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Japan

264 of its 1,173 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (63 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Bangladesh

81 of its 173 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Dhaka accounted for 49 of Bangladesh's 81 stories about harm, carried by 51 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Vatican City

17 of its 17 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (15 stories).

its stories →
Health

Denmark

53 of its 117 stories (45%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Outbreaks were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: ebola in DR Congo (14 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); heavy rain in Iraq (17 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Denmark (13 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); house fires in UK (69 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in Canada (13 of its stories, about 7 times its usual).

26 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 26 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10018 Nov25 Nov2 Dec9 Dec17 Dec18 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 10017 Dec: 26 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 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 21,260 stories about harm among 82,730 counted on 17 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

26 in every 100 of the day's 82,730 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. A year earlier, on 17 December 2020, 25 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 26 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Haiti78 in 100 of its 73 stories · usually 68 · mostly rights & justice Palestine73 in 100 of its 95 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Iraq63 in 100 of its 90 stories · usually 48 · mostly disasters & accidents Ethiopia63 in 100 of its 118 stories · usually 53 · mostly rights & justice Philippines56 in 100 of its 641 stories · usually 44 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US171 stories about protests or strikes, of its 813 Delhi India42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 250 London UK42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 536 Beijing China30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 97 Manhattan US30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 157

Stories, not people.

The emotional weather

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: feelings about like the world'sVietnam: feelings about like the world'sVenezuela: feelings about like the world'sVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: feelings about like the world'sUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: feelings about like the world'sGuam: feelings about like the world'sUnited States: feelings about like the world'sSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: feelings about like the world'sIsle of Man: feelings about like the world'sUnited Arab Emirates: feelings about like the world'sUkraine: feelings about like the world'sUganda: feelings about like the world'sTrinidad & Tobago: feelings about like the world'sTonga: feelings about like the world'sTogo: feelings about like the world'sTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: feelings about like the world'sTajikistan: feelings about like the world'sTaiwan: feelings about like the world'sSwitzerland: feelings about like the world'sSweden: feelings about like the world'sEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: feelings about like the world'sSri Lanka: feelings about like the world'sSpain: feelings about like the world'sSouth Korea: feelings about like the world'sSouth Africa: feelings about like the world'sSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: feelings about like the world'sSlovenia: feelings about like the world'sSingapore: feelings about like the world'sSierra Leone: feelings about like the world'sSeychelles: feelings about like the world'sSerbia: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: feelings about like the world'sSão Tomé: feelings about like the world'sSamoa: feelings about like the world'sSt Vincent: feelings about like the world'sSt. Lucia: feelings about like the world'sRomania: feelings about like the world'sPortugal: feelings about like the world'sPoland: feelings about like the world'sPhilippines: feelings about like the world'sPeru: feelings about like the world'sParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: feelings about like the world'sPanama: feelings about like the world'sPalau: too little coverage to readNorway: feelings about like the world'sNiger: feelings about like the world'sNicaragua: feelings about like the world'sNew Zealand: feelings about like the world'sNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: feelings about like the world'sCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: feelings about like the world'sMongolia: feelings about like the world'sMoldova: feelings about like the world'sMexico: feelings about like the world'sMauritius: feelings about like the world'sMauritania: feelings about like the world'sMalta: feelings about like the world'sMalawi: feelings about like the world'sMadagascar: feelings about like the world'sNorth Macedonia: feelings about like the world'sLuxembourg: feelings about like the world'sLithuania: feelings about like the world'sLibya: feelings about like the world'sLesotho: feelings about like the world'sLatvia: feelings about like the world'sLaos: feelings about like the world'sKyrgyzstan: feelings about like the world'sKuwait: feelings about like the world'sKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: feelings about like the world'sKenya: feelings about like the world'sKazakhstan: feelings about like the world'sJamaica: feelings about like the world'sItaly: feelings about like the world'sIreland: feelings about like the world'sIndonesia: feelings about like the world'sIndia: feelings about like the world'sIceland: feelings about like the world'sHonduras: too little coverage to readGuyana: feelings about like the world'sGuinea-Bissau: feelings about like the world'sGuinea: feelings about like the world'sGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: feelings about like the world'sGhana: feelings about like the world'sGermany: feelings about like the world'sGeorgia: feelings about like the world'sGambia: feelings about like the world'sGabon: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: feelings about like the world'sNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: feelings about like the world'sFiji: feelings about like the world'sEstonia: feelings about like the world'sEritrea: feelings about like the world'sEquatorial Guinea: feelings about like the world'sEl Salvador: feelings about like the world'sEgypt: feelings about like the world'sDominica: feelings about like the world'sDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: feelings about like the world'sFaroe Islands: feelings about like the world'sCzech Republic: feelings about like the world'sN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: feelings about like the world'sCroatia: feelings about like the world'sCôte d'Ivoire: feelings about like the world'sCosta Rica: feelings about like the world'sComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: feelings about like the world'sChina: feelings about like the world'sHong Kong: feelings about like the world'sChad: feelings about like the world'sCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: feelings about like the world'sBurundi: feelings about like the world'sBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBrunei: feelings about like the world'sBrazil: feelings about like the world'sBotswana: feelings about like the world'sBolivia: feelings about like the world'sBenin: feelings about like the world'sBelize: feelings about like the world'sBelgium: feelings about like the world'sBelarus: feelings about like the world'sBarbados: feelings about like the world'sBahrain: feelings about like the world'sBahamas: feelings about like the world'sAustria: feelings about like the world'sHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArgentina: feelings about like the world'sAntigua & Barbuda: feelings about like the world'sAngola: feelings about like the world'sAndorra: feelings about like the world'sAlgeria: feelings about like the world'sAlbania: feelings about like the world'sAksai Chin: feelings about like the world'sWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readCrimea: feelings about like the world'sVatican City: feelings about like the world'sMarshall 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 readBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readGuernsey: feelings about like the world'sSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: feelings about like the world'sCook Islands: feelings about like the world'sAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: feelings about like the world'sLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: feelings about like the world'sNorfolk Island: feelings about like the world'sSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sYemen: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sPuerto Rico: coverage a little warmer than the world'sUK: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTurkmenistan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sTürkiye: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sTunisia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sThailand: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSyria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSudan: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sSomalia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sSlovakia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sSenegal: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sRwanda: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sRussia: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sQatar: coverage a little warmer than the world'sPakistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sOman: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sNorth Korea: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sNigeria: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sNepal: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMozambique: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sMorocco: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sMali: coverage a little angrier than the world'sMalaysia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sLiberia: coverage a little angrier than the world'sLebanon: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sJordan: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sJapan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sIsrael: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sIraq: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sIran: coverage about twice as fearful as the world'sHungary: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sHaiti: coverage a little warmer than the world'sGreece: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sFrance: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sEthiopia: coverage about three times as angry as the world'sEcuador: coverage a little angrier than the world'sDominican Republic: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sDenmark: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sCuba: coverage a little angrier than the world'sDR Congo: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sCongo: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sChile: coverage about twice as grief-stricken as the world'sCentral African Republic: coverage a little angrier than the world'sCameroon: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sCambodia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sMyanmar: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sBulgaria: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBosnia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sBhutan: coverage about one and a half times as warm as the world'sBangladesh: coverage about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world'sAzerbaijan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sAustralia: coverage a little more fearful than the world'sArmenia: coverage a little more grief-stricken than the world'sAfghanistan: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sPalestine: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sPalestine: coverage about twice as angry as the world'sKashmir: coverage about one and a half times as fearful as the world'sBermuda: coverage about one and a half times as angry as the world'sJersey: coverage a little angrier than the world's
AngerGriefFearWarmth Like the world'sToo little news

Each country in the colour of the feeling its news carried most, against the world's news that day. Stronger colour: further above the world. Click a country.

Strongest feelings

● Ethiopia about three times as angry as the world's · 74 stories about harm ● Iran about twice as fearful as the world's · 56 stories about harm ● Bhutan few stories about one and a half times as warm as the world's · 17 stories about harm ● North Korea about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 57 stories about harm ● Palestine about twice as angry as the world's · 69 stories about harm ● Iraq about twice as grief-stricken as the world's · 57 stories about harm

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health59% 12,465 stories · more than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice15% 3,153 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents12% 2,433 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence5% 1,130 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 600 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 527 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 514 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 killed4,691 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,503 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,473 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured986 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions153 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees146 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced123 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations105 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill7 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Qatar

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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.