← 21 Dec Wednesday 22 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
21,721 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 hunger in Yemen, helicopter crash in Madagascar and protests in Khartoum (Sudan) drew the news. Sudan's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Language across the world's news ran much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 64 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostMadagascar 84 in 100 of its 58 stories, usually 38
RegionSoutheast Asia 45 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 →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

59 of its 84 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Sanaa accounted for 34 of Yemen's 59 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Hunger was named in 25 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. 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.

Yemen over 30 days → its stories → Sanaa stories →
Disasters & accidents

Madagascar

49 of its 58 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (43 stories). Helicopter crash was 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.

Madagascar over 30 days → its stories →
Protests & strikes

Sudan

45 of its 52 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Khartoum accounted for 26 of Sudan's 45 stories about harm, carried by 28 outlets. 24 of Khartoum's 26 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

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

Malaysia

189 of its 395 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Selangor accounted for 106 of Malaysia's 189 stories about harm, carried by 47 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at about 8 times the usual rate (21 stories). Flooding was named in 114 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with heavy rain.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ethiopia

33 of its 47 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 53%. Tigray accounted for 19 of Ethiopia's 33 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

81 of its 196 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (34 stories). Accidents were named in 20 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Myanmar

39 of its 48 stories (81%) were about people being harmed, usually 67%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (26 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

54 of its 92 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Reports of people displaced ran at about three times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Guatemala

7 of its 11 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. 3 of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan's 4 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Malaysia (114 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); accidents in Greece (20 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Japan (14 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); flu in Israel (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); poisoning in India (20 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 26; 27 the day before
28 in 10025 in 10023 Nov30 Nov7 Dec14 Dec22 Dec23 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 10022 Dec: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 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 21,721 stories about harm among 79,915 counted on 22 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 27 in every 100 of the day's 79,915 stories, as usual. On 22 December 2020, a year earlier, the share was 27 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan87 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 63 · mostly rights & justice Madagascar84 in 100 of its 58 stories · usually 38 · mostly disasters & accidents Yemen70 in 100 of its 84 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Syria59 in 100 of its 92 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Cambodia53 in 100 of its 62 stories · usually 46 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US120 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1034 Beijing China35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 113 Khartoum Sudan24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 26 Delhi India21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 259 Los Angeles US21 stories about protests or strikes, of its 166

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: 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 lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: too little coverage to readEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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 lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: 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: 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: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew 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 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: 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: 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 lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: 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 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 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. 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: 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 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 lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: 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: too little coverage to readBenin: 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 lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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 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: too little coverage to readMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: 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: too little coverage to readZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualQatar: warmth about its own usualLithuania: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualBahamas: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualAlaska, US -- health: 14 stories, carried by 15 outletsPhnom Penh, Cambodia -- health: 19 stories, carried by 14 outletsDelaware, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsTralee, Ireland -- health: 13 stories, carried by 20 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 51 stories, carried by 56 outletsLucknow, India -- health: 20 stories, carried by 16 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

● Alaska US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories ● Phnom Penh Cambodia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Delaware US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Tralee Ireland about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Dubai United Arab Emirates about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 51 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health64% 13,856 stories · much more than usual (usually 57%) Rights & justice13% 2,740 stories · less than usual (usually 16%) Disasters & accidents10% 2,075 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence5% 1,090 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 590 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 498 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 436 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 227 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 killed4,395 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,606 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,294 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured991 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced159 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and Malaysia Stories reporting refugees136 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions107 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations64 at about half the usual rate · most about the Philippines and the US Stories reporting people falling ill15 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Spain

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
● 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.