← 19 Dec Tuesday 20 December 2022 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
15,082 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 rights and justice in Stutthof, violence in Damascus and storms in Thailand. Poland's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Taken together, the world's news read softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 34 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostPoland 48 in 100 of its 125 stories, usually 20
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 29 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
Tone of the words Softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Rights & justice

Poland

60 of its 125 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Stutthof accounted for 46 of Poland's 60 stories about harm, carried by 134 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (13 stories). Hunger was named in 16 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Syria

83 of its 119 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 56%. Damascus accounted for 38 of Syria's 83 stories about harm, carried by 53 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (20 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Disasters & accidents

Thailand

113 of its 248 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people affected ran at about 6 times the usual rate (71 stories). Storms were named in 49 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual.

6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

279 of its 744 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of abductions ran at about 5 times the usual rate (28 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Kashmir

37 of its 92 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 31%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (23 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Protests & strikes

Iran

Tehran accounted for 63 of Iran's 126 stories about harm, carried by 149 outlets. 46 of Tehran's 63 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Rights & justice

Bahrain

19 of its 45 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Health

Nepal

23 of its 47 stories (49%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories).

Disasters & accidents

Malaysia

114 of its 305 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 8 times the usual rate (9 stories).

Also named far more than usual: covid in Indonesia (15 of its stories, about three times its usual); covid in Israel (29 of its stories, about three times its usual); snowstorms in Canada (53 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); snowstorms in US (368 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); storms in China (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 20 the day before
21 in 10018 in 10021 Nov28 Nov5 Dec12 Dec20 Dec21 Nov: 19 in 10022 Nov: 19 in 10023 Nov: 20 in 10024 Nov: 19 in 10025 Nov: 18 in 10026 Nov: 19 in 10027 Nov: 19 in 10028 Nov: 20 in 10029 Nov: 20 in 10030 Nov: 20 in 1001 Dec: 19 in 1002 Dec: 19 in 1003 Dec: 19 in 1004 Dec: 19 in 1005 Dec: 19 in 1006 Dec: 19 in 1007 Dec: 19 in 1008 Dec: 19 in 1009 Dec: 19 in 10010 Dec: 20 in 10011 Dec: 20 in 10012 Dec: 20 in 10013 Dec: 20 in 10014 Dec: 20 in 10015 Dec: 20 in 10016 Dec: 20 in 10017 Dec: 21 in 10018 Dec: 20 in 10019 Dec: 20 in 10020 Dec: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 15,082 stories about harm among 73,582 counted on 20 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Poland stood out: 48% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 20%. 20 in every 100 of the day's 73,582 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 19. On 20 December 2021, a year earlier, the share was 27 in every 100, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessYemen: near the world's share or lessVietnam: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: near the world's share or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: near the world's share or lessTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSouth Africa: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: near the world's share or lessSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: no storiesRussia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: near the world's share or lessKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndonesia: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: near the world's share or lessGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: no storiesNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: no storiesDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessDR Congo: near the world's share or lessCongo: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: near the world's share or lessBolivia: near the world's share or lessBhutan: no storiesBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: near the world's share or lessAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesVatican City: no storiesMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: near the world's share or lessSt. Helena: near the world's share or lessPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: no storiesJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: near the world's share or lessWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesVenezuela: 44 in 100 of its 18 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ukraine: 31 in 100 of its 582 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Uganda: 32 in 100 of its 50 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Türkiye: 31 in 100 of its 198 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Tunisia: 33 in 100 of its 60 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Thailand: 46 in 100 of its 248 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Syria: 70 in 100 of its 119 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sudan: 74 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Somalia: 65 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)St Vincent: 53 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Rwanda: 57 in 100 of its 63 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Poland: 48 in 100 of its 125 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Philippines: 27 in 100 of its 445 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Peru: 43 in 100 of its 81 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Pakistan: 38 in 100 of its 744 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Nigeria: 28 in 100 of its 961 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Nepal: 49 in 100 of its 47 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Mozambique: 56 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Malaysia: 37 in 100 of its 305 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Malawi: 31 in 100 of its 64 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Libya: 50 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Lebanon: 35 in 100 of its 62 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Latvia: 42 in 100 of its 33 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Israel: 37 in 100 of its 468 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 56 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Iraq: 46 in 100 of its 78 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Iran: 45 in 100 of its 279 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Haiti: 46 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Gambia: 44 in 100 of its 16 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ethiopia: 40 in 100 of its 62 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Czechia: 38 in 100 of its 39 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Cuba: 35 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)China: 32 in 100 of its 1,610 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Myanmar: 65 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Belgium: 30 in 100 of its 126 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Bangladesh: 31 in 100 of its 210 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Bahrain: 42 in 100 of its 45 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Afghanistan: 40 in 100 of its 203 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 40 in 100 of its 92 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)China: 32 in 100 of its 1,610 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 56 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 56 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 40 in 100 of its 92 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 40 in 100 of its 92 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Ukraine: 31 in 100 of its 582 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 56 in 100 of its 57 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 40 in 100 of its 92 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 20 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

The day in three measures

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as 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.