What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.
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The day's news pointed at violence in Damascus, the earthquake in the Netherlands and protests in Tbilisi (Georgia). Syria's coverage was about three times as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.
Conflict & violence
613 of its 749 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 74%. Damascus accounted for 317 of Syria's 613 stories about harm, carried by 480 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Natural hazards were named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.
Disasters & accidents
89 of its 178 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Mariahoeve accounted for 45 of the Netherlands' 89 stories about harm, carried by 97 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (14 stories). Earthquake was named in 36 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
Protests & strikes
38 of its 59 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Tbilisi accounted for 37 of Georgia's 38 stories about harm, carried by 81 outlets. 36 of Tbilisi's 37 stories were about protests or strikes. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.
Rights & justice
21 of its 45 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (5 stories).
6 more places the news pointed at
Disasters & accidents
7 of its 9 stories (78%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.
Protests & strikes
39 of Islamabad's 76 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at more than ten times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.
Shelter & services
177 of its 674 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Power cuts were named in 71 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.
Protests & strikes
23 of its 107 stories (21%) were about people being harmed, usually 9%. 6 of Bucharest's 12 stories were about protests or strikes.
Disasters & accidents
46 of its 119 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories).
Health
11 of its 37 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).
Also named far more than usual:
power cuts in Ireland (71 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); heavy rain in UK (114 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); covid in Nigeria (22 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); tuberculosis in India (24 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); volcanic eruption in US (23 of its stories, about three times its usual).
Read the day's briefing
It was the third day running that the news turned to Syria. of the day's 58,866 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, above the usual 17. Ireland's news mentioned power cuts more than ten times as often as usual. Syria's news was 82% about people being harmed, against a usual 74%. On 8 December 2023, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, the same as today.
18 in every 100 of the day's 58,866 news stories were about people being harmed (usually 17). Syria: 613 of its 749 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 74%. Netherlands: 89 of its 178 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Georgia: 38 of its 59 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 48%. Ethiopia: 21 of its 45 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Mentions of power cuts ran more than ten times their usual in Ireland's news. Mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual in the Netherlands' news. Across the world, the words of the day's news were about as usual. It was the third day running that the news turned to Syria. A year earlier, on 8 December 2023, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today. Written by code from the day's numbers.
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or less Zambia: about as warm as its own usual or less Yemen: about as warm as its own usual or less Vietnam: about as warm as its own usual or less Vanuatu: too little coverage to read Uzbekistan: too little coverage to read Uruguay: too little coverage to read Micronesia: too little coverage to read U.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to read Guam: about as warm as its own usual or less Puerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or less United States: about as warm as its own usual or less South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to read Falkland Islands: too little coverage to read Cayman Islands: about as warm as its own usual or less Isle of Man: too little coverage to read United Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or less United Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or less Ukraine: about as warm as its own usual or less Uganda: about as warm as its own usual or less Turkmenistan: too little coverage to read Turkey: about as warm as its own usual or less Tunisia: too little coverage to read Trinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or less Tonga: about as warm as its own usual or less Togo: too little coverage to read Timor-Leste: too little coverage to read Thailand: about as warm as its own usual or less Tanzania: about as warm as its own usual or less Tajikistan: too little coverage to read Taiwan: about as warm as its own usual or less Syria: about as warm as its own usual or less Switzerland: about as warm as its own usual or less Sweden: about as warm as its own usual or less Eswatini: about as warm as its own usual or less Suriname: about as warm as its own usual or less South Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or less Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or less Sri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or less Spain: about as warm as its own usual or less South Korea: about as warm as its own usual or less South Africa: about as warm as its own usual or less Somalia: about as warm as its own usual or less Somaliland: too little coverage to read Solomon Islands: too little coverage to read Slovakia: too little coverage to read Slovenia: about as warm as its own usual or less Singapore: about as warm as its own usual or less Sierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or less Seychelles: about as warm as its own usual or less Serbia: too little coverage to read Senegal: about as warm as its own usual or less Saudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or less São Tomé: too little coverage to read Samoa: too little coverage to read St Vincent: too little coverage to read St. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or less Rwanda: about as warm as its own usual or less Russia: about as warm as its own usual or less Romania: about as warm as its own usual or less Qatar: about as warm as its own usual or less Portugal: about as warm as its own usual or less Poland: about as warm as its own usual or less Philippines: about as warm as its own usual or less Peru: too little coverage to read Paraguay: too little coverage to read Papua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or less Panama: about as warm as its own usual or less Palau: too little coverage to read Pakistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Oman: about as warm as its own usual or less Norway: about as warm as its own usual or less North Korea: about as warm as its own usual or less Nigeria: about as warm as its own usual or less Niger: about as warm as its own usual or less Nicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or less New Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or less Niue: too little coverage to read Netherlands: about as warm as its own usual or less Curaçao: too little coverage to read Nepal: about as warm as its own usual or less Namibia: too little coverage to read Mozambique: about as warm as its own usual or less Morocco: about as warm as its own usual or less Western Sahara: too little coverage to read Montenegro: too little coverage to read Mongolia: too little coverage to read Moldova: too little coverage to read Mexico: about as warm as its own usual or less Mauritius: too little coverage to read Mauritania: too little coverage to read Malta: about as warm as its own usual or less Mali: about as warm as its own usual or less Malaysia: about as warm as its own usual or less Malawi: about as warm as its own usual or less Madagascar: about as warm as its own usual or less North Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or less Luxembourg: too little coverage to read Lithuania: too little coverage to read Libya: too little coverage to read Liberia: about as warm as its own usual or less Lesotho: too little coverage to read Lebanon: about as warm as its own usual or less Latvia: too little coverage to read Laos: too little coverage to read Kyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or less Kuwait: about as warm as its own usual or less Kosovo: too little coverage to read Kiribati: too little coverage to read Kenya: about as warm as its own usual or less Kazakhstan: too little coverage to read Jordan: about as warm as its own usual or less Japan: about as warm as its own usual or less Jamaica: about as warm as its own usual or less Italy: about as warm as its own usual or less Israel: about as warm as its own usual or less Palestine: about as warm as its own usual or less Ireland: too little coverage to read Iran: about as warm as its own usual or less Indonesia: about as warm as its own usual or less India: about as warm as its own usual or less Iceland: about as warm as its own usual or less Hungary: about as warm as its own usual or less Honduras: about as warm as its own usual or less Haiti: about as warm as its own usual or less Guyana: about as warm as its own usual or less Guinea-Bissau: too little coverage to read Guinea: too little coverage to read Guatemala: about as warm as its own usual or less Grenada: about as warm as its own usual or less Greece: about as warm as its own usual or less Ghana: about as warm as its own usual or less Germany: about as warm as its own usual or less Georgia: about as warm as its own usual or less Gambia: about as warm as its own usual or less Gabon: too little coverage to read France: about as warm as its own usual or less St Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to read French Polynesia: about as warm as its own usual or less New Caledonia: too little coverage to read French Southern Territories: too little coverage to read Åland Islands: too little coverage to read Finland: about as warm as its own usual or less Fiji: too little coverage to read Ethiopia: about as warm as its own usual or less Estonia: too little coverage to read Eritrea: too little coverage to read Equatorial Guinea: too little coverage to read El Salvador: too little coverage to read Egypt: about as warm as its own usual or less Ecuador: about as warm as its own usual or less Dominican Republic: too little coverage to read Dominica: too little coverage to read Djibouti: about as warm as its own usual or less Greenland: too little coverage to read Faroe Islands: too little coverage to read Denmark: about as warm as its own usual or less Czech Republic: too little coverage to read N. Cyprus: too little coverage to read Cyprus: about as warm as its own usual or less Cuba: about as warm as its own usual or less Croatia: about as warm as its own usual or less Côte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or less Costa Rica: about as warm as its own usual or less DR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or less Congo: about as warm as its own usual or less Comoros: too little coverage to read Colombia: about as warm as its own usual or less China: about as warm as its own usual or less Hong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or less Chile: about as warm as its own usual or less Chad: about as warm as its own usual or less Central African Republic: too little coverage to read Cape Verde: too little coverage to read Canada: about as warm as its own usual or less Cameroon: about as warm as its own usual or less Cambodia: about as warm as its own usual or less Myanmar: about as warm as its own usual or less Burundi: about as warm as its own usual or less Burkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or less Bulgaria: too little coverage to read Brunei: about as warm as its own usual or less Brazil: about as warm as its own usual or less Botswana: about as warm as its own usual or less Bosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to read Bolivia: about as warm as its own usual or less Bhutan: about as warm as its own usual or less Benin: about as warm as its own usual or less Belize: about as warm as its own usual or less Belgium: about as warm as its own usual or less Belarus: about as warm as its own usual or less Barbados: about as warm as its own usual or less Bangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or less Bahrain: about as warm as its own usual or less Bahamas: about as warm as its own usual or less Azerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or less Austria: about as warm as its own usual or less Australia: about as warm as its own usual or less Heard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to read Armenia: about as warm as its own usual or less Argentina: about as warm as its own usual or less Antigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or less Angola: about as warm as its own usual or less Andorra: too little coverage to read Algeria: about as warm as its own usual or less Albania: too little coverage to read Afghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Jammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or less Aksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or less Gaza: about as warm as its own usual or less West Bank: about as warm as its own usual or less Western Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to read Western Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to read Azad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Siachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or less Crimea: about as warm as its own usual or less East Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or less Azad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or less Vatican City: too little coverage to read Marshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or less Northern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to read American Samoa: too little coverage to read Chagos Islands: too little coverage to read St. Helena: too little coverage to read Pitcairn: too little coverage to read Anguilla: too little coverage to read Bermuda: about as warm as its own usual or less British Virgin Islands: too little coverage to read Turks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or less Montserrat: too little coverage to read Jersey: about as warm as its own usual or less Guernsey: too little coverage to read San Marino: too little coverage to read St Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to read Cook Islands: too little coverage to read Aruba: too little coverage to read Nauru: too little coverage to read Monaco: about as warm as its own usual or less Maldives: about as warm as its own usual or less Liechtenstein: too little coverage to read Wallis & Futuna: too little coverage to read St. Martin: too little coverage to read St. Barthélemy: too little coverage to read Macao: too little coverage to read Norfolk Island: too little coverage to read Sint Maarten: too little coverage to read Christmas Island: about as warm as its own usual or less Gibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or less Mayotte: too little coverage to read Venezuela: warmth about its own usual Iraq: warmth about its own usual Charleston, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 39 outlets Nyankpala, Ghana -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 11 outlets Michigan, US -- food & livelihood: 22 stories, carried by 29 outlets Abuja, Nigeria -- health: 27 stories, carried by 18 outlets Yorkshire, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 10 outlets Glasgow, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 12 outlets Beijing, China -- rights & justice: 27 stories, carried by 28 outlets Bucharest, Romania -- rights & justice: 12 stories, carried by 19 outlets
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.
The day in three measures
harsh warm
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?
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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.