← 25 Dec Sunday 26 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 27 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
9,825 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 →

Protests in Cape Town (South Africa), violence in Kivu and drownings in Libya drew the news. Uganda's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 54 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostMalaysia 69 in 100 of its 175 stories, usually 36
RegionSoutheast Asia 55 in 100 of its stories, usually 43
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

South Africa

552 of its 816 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Cape Town accounted for 273 of South Africa's 552 stories about harm, carried by 607 outlets. 144 of Cape Town's 273 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (258 stories). Tuberculosis was named in 68 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with polio. Its coverage was about one and a half times as warm as the world's.

South Africa over 30 days → its stories → Cape Town stories →
Conflict & violence

Uganda

51 of its 64 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Kivu accounted for 23 of Uganda's 51 stories about harm, carried by 48 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (38 stories). Ebola was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Uganda over 30 days → its stories → Kivu stories →
Disasters & accidents

Libya

34 of its 50 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (25 stories). Drownings were named in 10 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Libya over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Thailand

76 of its 114 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (24 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Thailand over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Yemen

42 of its 55 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Sanaa accounted for 22 of Yemen's 42 stories about harm, carried by 24 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Iraq

48 of its 75 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 50%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Drownings were named in 18 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Congo

22 of its 23 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

France

113 of its 269 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Paris accounted for 64 of France's 113 stories about harm, carried by 428 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (77 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

54 of its 140 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Brazil

33 of its 94 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (20 stories). Flooding was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: drownings in Iraq (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flooding in Brazil (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); volcanic eruption in Spain (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); avalanche in Afghanistan (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); extreme cold in Canada (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

30 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 29 the day before
30 in 10025 in 10027 Nov4 Dec11 Dec18 Dec26 Dec27 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 10023 Dec: 28 in 10024 Dec: 28 in 10025 Dec: 29 in 10026 Dec: 30 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 26 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 9,825 stories about harm among 33,051 counted on 26 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

It was the highest share of stories about people being harmed since 11 September 2021. On the side of help, reports of peace efforts ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Iraq's news mentioned drownings more than ten times as often as usual. 30 in every 100 of the day's 33,051 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 27. This week the news turned most often to Sudan, on 5 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 →

Uganda80 in 100 of its 64 stories · usually 39 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen76 in 100 of its 55 stories · usually 54 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine69 in 100 of its 83 stories · usually 53 · mostly conflict & violence Malaysia69 in 100 of its 175 stories · usually 36 · mostly disasters & accidents Libya68 in 100 of its 50 stories · usually 25 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Cape Town South Africa144 stories about protests or strikes, of its 273 Johannesburg South Africa59 stories about protests or strikes, of its 87 Washington US44 stories about protests or strikes, of its 262 Khartoum Sudan30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 32 Delhi India24 stories about protests or strikes, of its 185

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited States: too little coverage to readSouth 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 readTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: too little coverage to readSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: too little coverage to readSri 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 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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 lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua 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: too little coverage to readNorth Korea: too little coverage to readNigeria: 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 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: too little coverage to readMauritius: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: too little coverage to readKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: too little coverage to readJapan: too little coverage to readJamaica: 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 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 lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: 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 lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDominican 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: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta 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 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: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: too little coverage to readHeard & 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readSudan: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about twice its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualCape Town, South Africa -- rights & justice: 273 stories, carried by 607 outletsKlerksdorp, South Africa -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 46 outletsKhartoum, Sudan -- rights & justice: 32 stories, carried by 56 outletsTexas, US -- health: 39 stories, carried by 39 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 20 stories, carried by 10 outletsCincinnati, US -- health: 10 stories, carried by 25 outletsSandringham, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 27 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 12 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

● South Africa warmth about twice usual

Warmest events

● Cape Town South Africa about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 273 stories ● Klerksdorp South Africa about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories ● Khartoum Sudan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 32 stories ● Texas US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 39 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 20 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health54% 5,222 stories · less than usual (usually 58%) Rights & justice15% 1,441 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 1,286 stories · more than usual (usually 11%) Conflict & violence9% 917 stories · more than usual (usually 7%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 357 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 209 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 169 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 133 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 killed2,778 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and South Africa Stories reporting people affected802 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the UK Stories reporting arrests552 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured551 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced83 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Malaysia Stories reporting refugees61 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions54 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations46 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 harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout one and a half times 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.