← 18 Dec Sunday 19 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 20 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
10,589 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 flooding in Malaysia, violence in Homesh and people injured in Guatemala. Palestine's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Reports of evacuations ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Malaysia and the Philippines →
Part of lifeHealth 54 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostMalaysia 61 in 100 of its 342 stories, usually 29
RegionSoutheast Asia 57 in 100 of its stories, usually 40
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 →
Disasters & accidents

Malaysia

208 of its 342 stories (61%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Kuala Lumpur accounted for 97 of Malaysia's 208 stories about harm, carried by 46 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (26 stories). Flooding was named in 121 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain and landslides. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Malaysia over 30 days → its stories → Kuala Lumpur stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

65 of its 88 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Homesh accounted for 34 of Palestine's 65 stories about harm, carried by 20 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Palestine over 30 days → its stories → Homesh stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Guatemala

15 of its 21 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Guatemala over 30 days → its stories →
Health

Iran

46 of its 112 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Iran over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

295 of its 441 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Philippine accounted for 109 of the Philippines' 295 stories about harm, carried by 83 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (62 stories). Typhoon was named in 216 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with storms, flooding and landslides. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

216 of its 525 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (57 stories). Gas explosion was named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Japan

88 of its 324 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people killed ran at about 7 times the usual rate (58 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Netherlands

68 of its 181 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (16 stories). Outbreaks were named in 12 of its stories about harm, about three times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

China

209 of its 661 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. 43 of Beijing's 84 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 10 times the usual rate (18 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Armenia

11 of its 23 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 4 of Yerevan's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: typhoon in Philippines (216 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); outbreaks in Netherlands (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); road crashes in Ireland (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); plane crash in Australia (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); gas explosion in Pakistan (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 27 the day before
28 in 10025 in 10020 Nov27 Nov4 Dec11 Dec19 Dec20 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 10018 Dec: 27 in 10019 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 19 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 10,589 stories about harm among 38,784 counted on 19 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Evacuations were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Malaysia and the Philippines. 27 in every 100 of the day's 38,784 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. In Malaysia, 61% of the news was about people being harmed, where 29% is usual. A year earlier, on 19 December 2020, 28 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. This week the news turned most often to Palestine, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Palestine74 in 100 of its 88 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan69 in 100 of its 75 stories · usually 62 · mostly rights & justice Philippines67 in 100 of its 441 stories · usually 45 · mostly disasters & accidents Indonesia62 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 47 · mostly disasters & accidents Malaysia61 in 100 of its 342 stories · usually 29 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US48 stories about protests or strikes, of its 381 Beijing China43 stories about protests or strikes, of its 84 Khartoum Sudan42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 44 London UK42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 341 Northern Ireland UK20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 103

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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 readTunisia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: too little coverage to readSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: too little coverage to readSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: too little coverage to readNamibia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: 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 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 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: too little coverage to readSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew 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: too little coverage to readDominica: 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: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR 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 lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBritish 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualSaudi Arabia: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualHungary: warmth about its own usualChile: warmth about its own usualIstanbul, Türkiye -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 15 outletsCape Town, South Africa -- health: 16 stories, carried by 18 outletsNavelim, India -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 21 outletsNew Hampshire, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 17 outletsWest Virginia, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 10 outletsSantiago, Chile -- conflict & violence: 24 stories, carried by 88 outletsShang-Chi, China -- health: 10 stories, carried by 16 outletsKolkata, India -- rights & justice: 38 stories, carried by 28 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

● Istanbul Türkiye about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories ● Cape Town South Africa about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Navelim India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories ● New Hampshire US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 10 stories ● West Virginia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health54% 5,704 stories · about as usual Rights & justice14% 1,516 stories · less than usual (usually 17%) Disasters & accidents13% 1,370 stories · more than usual (usually 10%) Conflict & violence9% 914 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 356 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 269 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 213 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 177 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 killed2,767 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting people affected790 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests775 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured647 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting evacuations103 at about twice the usual rate · most about Malaysia and the Philippines Stories reporting refugees83 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced82 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Afghanistan and the US Stories reporting abductions55 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill5 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

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.