← 20 Dec Thursday 21 December 2023 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
18,562 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 Buenos Aires (Argentina), violence in Prague and storms in Iceland. the Czechia's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Part of lifeHealth 30 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostCzechia 80 in 100 of its 468 stories, usually 12
RegionOceania 23 in 100 of its stories, usually 19
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

Argentina

66 of its 175 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Buenos Aires accounted for 52 of Argentina's 66 stories about harm, carried by 86 outlets. 38 of Buenos Aires' 52 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Argentina over 30 days → its stories → Buenos Aires stories →
Conflict & violence

Czechia

376 of its 468 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 12%. Prague accounted for 360 of the Czechia's 376 stories about harm, carried by 823 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (293 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Czechia over 30 days → its stories → Prague stories →
Disasters & accidents

Iceland

74 of its 108 stories (69%) were about people being harmed, usually 55%. Grindavik accounted for 51 of Iceland's 74 stories about harm, carried by 266 outlets. Storms were named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with covid.

Iceland over 30 days → its stories → Grindavik stories →
Displacement

Sudan

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (9 stories). Train derailment was named in 12 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

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

Kashmir

83 of its 159 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 35%. Reports of people injured ran at about 6 times the usual rate (42 stories). Its coverage was about three times as fearful as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

90 of its 149 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Natural hazards were named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

80 of its 145 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Tehran accounted for 46 of Iran's 80 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Pakistan

57 of Islamabad's 81 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (57 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Venezuela

63 of its 118 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (53 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Malawi

20 of its 46 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: covid in India (214 of its stories, about three times its usual); earthquake in China (84 of its stories, about three times its usual); drought in Ethiopia (10 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); natural hazards in Afghanistan (11 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); wildfires in South Africa (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 19 the day before
20 in 10018 in 10022 Nov29 Nov6 Dec13 Dec21 Dec22 Nov: 19 in 10023 Nov: 19 in 10024 Nov: 18 in 10025 Nov: 19 in 10026 Nov: 20 in 10027 Nov: 19 in 10028 Nov: 19 in 10029 Nov: 19 in 10030 Nov: 19 in 1001 Dec: 19 in 1002 Dec: 20 in 1003 Dec: 19 in 1004 Dec: 18 in 1005 Dec: 18 in 1006 Dec: 18 in 1007 Dec: 19 in 1008 Dec: 18 in 1009 Dec: 19 in 10010 Dec: 20 in 10011 Dec: 18 in 10012 Dec: 18 in 10013 Dec: 18 in 10014 Dec: 18 in 10015 Dec: 18 in 10016 Dec: 19 in 10017 Dec: 19 in 10018 Dec: 19 in 10019 Dec: 19 in 10020 Dec: 19 in 10021 Dec: 18 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 18,562 stories about harm among 101,317 counted on 21 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Argentina for the second day running. 18 in every 100 of the day's 101,317 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Argentina, 38% of the news was about people being harmed, where 20% is usual. A year earlier, on 21 December 2022, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Czechia80 in 100 of its 468 stories · usually 12 · mostly conflict & violence Iceland69 in 100 of its 108 stories · usually 55 · mostly disasters & accidents Israel69 in 100 of its 1,578 stories · usually 73 · mostly conflict & violence Sudan67 in 100 of its 99 stories · usually 64 · mostly displacement Afghanistan60 in 100 of its 149 stories · usually 44 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US108 stories about protests or strikes, of its 480 Delhi India68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 272 Islamabad Pakistan57 stories about protests or strikes, of its 81 Buenos Aires Argentina38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 52 Gaza Palestine33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 232

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readGuam: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: too little coverage to readSão 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: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: 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: too little coverage to readMadagascar: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Caledonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrench 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: too little coverage to readBangladesh: 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: 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 lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: 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: 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 readUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualRussia: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualDjibouti: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualTexas Department of Public Safety, US -- rights & justice: 16 stories, carried by 24 outletsColchester, UK -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsGuelph, Canada -- health: 16 stories, carried by 24 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 46 stories, carried by 22 outletsHawaii, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsDubai, United Arab Emirates -- health: 17 stories, carried by 17 outletsCanberra, Australia -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 85 outletsBrussels, Belgium -- health: 17 stories, carried by 25 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

● Texas Department of Public Safety US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 16 stories ● Colchester UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Guelph Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 46 stories ● Hawaii US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health30% 5,404 stories · about as usual Rights & justice25% 4,540 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence15% 2,656 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents15% 2,651 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 816 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given4% 811 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 764 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 580 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 killed4,430 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,280 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected2,090 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,188 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions550 at about half the usual rate · most about Israel and Palestine Stories reporting people displaced303 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees246 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations152 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting people falling ill19 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 about as 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

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.