← 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: near the world's share or lessYemen: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: no storiesUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: no storiesSuriname: no storiesSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: near the world's share or lessRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: no storiesPakistan: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNigeria: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIran: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessJammu & Kashmir: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessSiachen Glacier: near the world's share or lessCrimea: near the world's share or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: near the world's share or lessAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: near the world's share or lessMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: near the world's share or lessSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesZimbabwe: 38 in 100 of its 136 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Vietnam: 34 in 100 of its 189 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Thailand: 41 in 100 of its 229 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Syria: 48 in 100 of its 46 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)South Sudan: 58 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Sudan: 56 in 100 of its 32 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)South Africa: 43 in 100 of its 704 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Somalia: 55 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Philippines: 56 in 100 of its 641 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)North Korea: 53 in 100 of its 108 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)New Zealand: 34 in 100 of its 427 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Lebanon: 37 in 100 of its 70 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Kyrgyzstan: 48 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Israel: 43 in 100 of its 387 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 73 in 100 of its 95 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Iraq: 63 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Indonesia: 44 in 100 of its 110 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Haiti: 78 in 100 of its 73 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Ethiopia: 63 in 100 of its 118 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Denmark: 45 in 100 of its 117 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Czechia: 44 in 100 of its 62 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Cuba: 55 in 100 of its 55 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)DR Congo: 85 in 100 of its 20 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Congo: 53 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Chile: 44 in 100 of its 86 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Chad: 48 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Central African Republic: 78 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Cambodia: 41 in 100 of its 46 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Myanmar: 58 in 100 of its 36 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Barbados: 53 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Bangladesh: 47 in 100 of its 173 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Bahamas: 40 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Afghanistan: 49 in 100 of its 241 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 73 in 100 of its 95 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 73 in 100 of its 95 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Palestine: 73 in 100 of its 95 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)Vatican City: 100 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 26)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 26 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

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

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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.