← 20 Dec Tuesday 21 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,937 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 flooding in Malaysia, protests in Khartoum (Sudan) and rights and justice in Oecusse. Sudan's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 62 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostMalaysia 49 in 100 of its 445 stories, usually 32
RegionSoutheast Asia 48 in 100 of its stories, usually 41
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Malaysia

219 of its 445 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Kuala Lumpur accounted for 152 of Malaysia's 219 stories about harm, carried by 95 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories). Flooding was named in 142 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with heavy rain.

Malaysia over 30 days → its stories → Kuala Lumpur stories →
Protests & strikes

Sudan

Khartoum accounted for 29 of Sudan's 47 stories about harm, carried by 46 outlets. 27 of Khartoum's 29 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Khartoum stories →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

60 of its 156 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

Libya

41 of its 86 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (29 stories). Drownings were named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Switzerland

137 of its 393 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (34 stories). Flu was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with tuberculosis.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Philippines

368 of its 630 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (30 stories). Typhoon was named in 261 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Guatemala

9 of its 14 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. 6 of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan's 6 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

46 of its 74 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Sanaa accounted for 30 of Yemen's 46 stories about harm, carried by 63 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Madagascar

19 of its 25 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (14 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: typhoon in Philippines (261 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); drownings in Libya (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Switzerland (13 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); power cuts in South Africa (11 of its stories, about 9 times its usual); power cuts in Australia (13 of its stories, about 6 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 27 the day before
28 in 10025 in 10022 Nov29 Nov6 Dec13 Dec21 Dec22 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 10020 Dec: 27 in 10021 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 21,937 stories about harm among 80,569 counted on 21 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Of the day's 80,569 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 26. A year earlier, on 21 December 2020, 27 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan70 in 100 of its 67 stories · usually 62 · mostly rights & justice Haiti69 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 70 · mostly rights & justice Yemen62 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Philippines58 in 100 of its 630 stories · usually 47 · mostly disasters & accidents Palestine58 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US156 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1119 Beijing China45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 131 London UK33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 403 Boston US33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 206 Khartoum Sudan27 stories about protests or strikes, of its 29

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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 lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: too little coverage to readSwitzerland: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: too little coverage to readParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: 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 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 readCuraçao: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: too little coverage to readMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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: too little coverage to readKosovo: 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 lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: too little coverage to readHonduras: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: too little coverage to readEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: 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: 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 readColombia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: 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: too little coverage to readBolivia: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readUganda: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualNigeria: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about its own usualMalawi: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualMinnesota, US -- health: 53 stories, carried by 128 outletsWest Virginia, US -- health: 21 stories, carried by 49 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 45 stories, carried by 25 outletsKwara, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsBrighton, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 14 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

● Minnesota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 53 stories ● West Virginia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 21 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 45 stories ● Kwara Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 10 stories ● Brighton UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health62% 13,414 stories · much more than usual (usually 56%) Rights & justice14% 3,013 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Disasters & accidents10% 2,207 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence6% 1,339 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 556 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 482 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 477 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 224 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 killed4,460 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,605 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,389 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured985 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions180 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Haiti Stories reporting people displaced163 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and Malaysia Stories reporting refugees125 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations102 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill10 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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less 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.