← 26 Dec Monday 27 December 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 28 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
15,701 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 protests in Pointe Desny (Mauritius), flooding in Brazil and illness in Dhaka. Bangladesh's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were about as usual.

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the Philippines →
Part of lifeHealth 57 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostBrazil 43 in 100 of its 176 stories, usually 23
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 38 in 100 of its stories, usually 30
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Mauritius

26 of its 29 stories (90%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. 8 of Pointe Desny's 10 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Oil spill was named in 17 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Mauritius over 30 days → its stories → Pointe Desny stories →
Disasters & accidents

Brazil

75 of its 176 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Bahia accounted for 50 of Brazil's 75 stories about harm, carried by 88 outlets. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Flooding was named in 44 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain, drownings and landslides.

Brazil over 30 days → its stories → Bahia stories →
Health

Bangladesh

93 of its 187 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Dhaka accounted for 48 of Bangladesh's 93 stories about harm, carried by 49 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (22 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Bangladesh over 30 days → its stories → Dhaka stories →
Rights & justice

South Africa

Cape Town accounted for 149 of South Africa's 396 stories about harm, carried by 213 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (192 stories). Tuberculosis was named in 21 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. 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 →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Congo

19 of its 23 stories (83%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Malaysia

163 of its 317 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (14 stories). Landslides were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Saudi Arabia

64 of its 178 stories (36%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Philippines

356 of its 631 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Philippine accounted for 111 of the Philippines' 356 stories about harm, carried by 43 outlets. Reports of people falling ill ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories).

its stories →
Health

Canada

355 of its 913 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 33%. Reports of abductions ran at about 9 times the usual rate (5 stories). Extreme cold was named in 35 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with hypothermia.

its stories →
Health

UK

Reports of people displaced ran at about 6 times the usual rate (5 stories). Heatwave was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with wildfires. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Greece (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); flu in Israel (34 of its stories, about 8 times its usual); extreme cold in Canada (35 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); wildfires in Australia (25 of its stories, about three times its usual); landslides in Malaysia (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

29 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 27; 30 the day before
30 in 10025 in 10028 Nov5 Dec12 Dec19 Dec27 Dec28 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 10027 Dec: 29 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 27 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 15,701 stories about harm among 53,270 counted on 27 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

People displaced were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about the US and the Philippines. Mauritius stood out: 90% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 37%. 29 in every 100 of the day's 53,270 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 27. A year earlier, on 27 December 2020, 31 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 29 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

South Africa57 in 100 of its 694 stories · usually 54 · mostly rights & justice Philippines56 in 100 of its 631 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Israel54 in 100 of its 468 stories · usually 41 · mostly health Malaysia51 in 100 of its 317 stories · usually 37 · mostly disasters & accidents Bangladesh50 in 100 of its 187 stories · usually 42 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Cape Town South Africa74 stories about protests or strikes, of its 149 Washington US68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 513 Delhi India34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 240 Boston US30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 149 Johannesburg South Africa28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 60

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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readSyria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readSt 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 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMozambique: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: 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: too little coverage to readIsrael: 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: too little coverage to readIndia: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: too little coverage to readHong 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 readCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: too little coverage to readMyanmar: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: too little coverage to readGaza: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: 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: too little coverage to readAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: 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: 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 readSouth Korea: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPoland: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualCanada: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about its own usualOregon, US -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 73 outletsCape Town, South Africa -- rights & justice: 149 stories, carried by 213 outletsArizona, US -- health: 17 stories, carried by 12 outletsKaduna, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 10 outletsQuebec, Canada -- health: 53 stories, carried by 105 outletsBaghdad, Iraq -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 19 outletsYorkshire, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 14 outletsJohannesburg, South Africa -- health: 60 stories, carried by 60 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 one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Oregon US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Cape Town South Africa about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 149 stories ● Arizona US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories ● Kaduna Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories ● Quebec Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 53 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health57% 8,861 stories · about as usual Rights & justice14% 2,182 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents13% 2,074 stories · more than usual (usually 11%) Conflict & violence7% 1,058 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 665 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 278 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 270 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 160 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 killed3,875 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected1,221 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting arrests985 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured856 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced188 at about twice the usual rate · most about the US and the Philippines Stories reporting abductions105 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations100 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and Malaysia Stories reporting refugees95 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill20 at about three times the usual rate · most about the Philippines and the US

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 about as 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.