← 7 Dec Sunday 8 December 2024 · to 23:59 UTC 9 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
9,401 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 news turned to protests in Seoul (South Korea), violence in Damascus and the earthquake in the Netherlands. Syria's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Syria and Palestine → Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Syria and the US →
Part of lifeConflict & violence 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · much more than usual Country that rose mostNetherlands 38 in 100 of its 146 stories, usually 15
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 55 in 100 of its stories, usually 40
Tone of the words Much 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 Korea

27 of Seoul's 40 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Extreme cold was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 10 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

South Korea over 30 days → its stories → Seoul stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

Damascus accounted for 1,273 of Syria's 1,597 stories about harm, carried by 1,022 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (95 stories). Plane crash was named in 43 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with road crashes. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Syria over 30 days → its stories → Damascus stories →
Disasters & accidents

Netherlands

56 of its 146 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (13 stories). Earthquake was named in 16 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

Netherlands over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Guyana

15 of its 68 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Russia

121 of its 365 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Moscow accounted for 73 of Russia's 121 stories about harm, carried by 77 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

34 of its 59 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Reports of refugees ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Vietnam

20 of its 80 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Health

Belize

13 of its 28 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Health

Philippines

Philippine accounted for 100 of the Philippines' 139 stories about harm, carried by 12 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

Gaza accounted for 35 of Palestine's 55 stories about harm, carried by 31 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: power cuts in Ireland (27 of its stories, about 10 times its usual); power cuts in UK (103 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Nigeria (17 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); snowstorms in Canada (15 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 18 the day before
20 in 10016 in 1009 Nov16 Nov23 Nov30 Nov8 Dec9 Nov: 17 in 10010 Nov: 18 in 10011 Nov: 17 in 10012 Nov: 16 in 10013 Nov: 16 in 10014 Nov: 17 in 10015 Nov: 17 in 10016 Nov: 17 in 10017 Nov: 18 in 10018 Nov: 18 in 10019 Nov: 18 in 10020 Nov: 17 in 10021 Nov: 18 in 10022 Nov: 17 in 10023 Nov: 17 in 10024 Nov: 18 in 10025 Nov: 18 in 10026 Nov: 18 in 10027 Nov: 18 in 10028 Nov: 17 in 10029 Nov: 17 in 10030 Nov: 17 in 1001 Dec: 18 in 1002 Dec: 17 in 1003 Dec: 17 in 1004 Dec: 17 in 1005 Dec: 17 in 1006 Dec: 18 in 1007 Dec: 18 in 1008 Dec: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 8 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 9,401 stories about harm among 47,879 counted on 8 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

No day had a higher share of stories about people being harmed since 10 October 2024. People displaced were reported at about twice the usual rate, most often about Syria and Palestine. 20 in every 100 of the day's 47,879 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 17. On 9 December 2023, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 20 today. This week the news turned most often to Syria, on 6 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 →

Syria73 in 100 of its 2,196 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine63 in 100 of its 87 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan58 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 41 · mostly conflict & violence Israel52 in 100 of its 356 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Iran39 in 100 of its 113 stories · usually 37 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Damascus Syria347 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1273 Washington US58 stories about protests or strikes, of its 224 Delhi India45 stories about protests or strikes, of its 109 Dhaka Bangladesh32 stories about protests or strikes, of its 62 Haryana India28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 33

Stories, not people.

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 lessVenezuela: 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 lessUkraine: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTunisia: 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 lessThailand: 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 lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: near the world's share or lessSuriname: no storiesSouth 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 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: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRwanda: 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 lessPoland: near the world's share or lessPeru: 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 lessNigeria: 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: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: 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 lessMauritania: no storiesMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalawi: 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 lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: 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 lessIraq: 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 lessHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: no storiesGuinea: 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 lessGambia: 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: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: no storiesEl 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: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: near the world's share or lessDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: 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 lessComoros: no storiesColombia: near the world's share or lessChina: 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: no storiesCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessCambodia: near the world's share or lessBurundi: no storiesBulgaria: 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: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: 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 lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesCrimea: near the world's share or lessVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: near the world's share or lessAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: no storiesTurks & 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: no storiesCook 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: near the world's share or lessGibraltar: no storiesMayotte: no storiesSyria: 73 in 100 of its 2,196 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Switzerland: 30 in 100 of its 80 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Sudan: 74 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)South Africa: 27 in 100 of its 305 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Somalia: 50 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Russia: 33 in 100 of its 365 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Philippines: 38 in 100 of its 362 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Pakistan: 35 in 100 of its 460 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Netherlands: 38 in 100 of its 146 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Nepal: 31 in 100 of its 48 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Mauritius: 56 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Malaysia: 27 in 100 of its 207 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Lebanon: 45 in 100 of its 44 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Israel: 52 in 100 of its 356 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 63 in 100 of its 87 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Iran: 39 in 100 of its 113 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Indonesia: 34 in 100 of its 98 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Georgia: 48 in 100 of its 29 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Cuba: 30 in 100 of its 96 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Congo: 89 in 100 of its 9 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Myanmar: 62 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Burkina Faso: 73 in 100 of its 15 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Belize: 46 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Bangladesh: 39 in 100 of its 256 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Afghanistan: 58 in 100 of its 59 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 33 in 100 of its 126 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 63 in 100 of its 87 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 63 in 100 of its 87 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 33 in 100 of its 126 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 33 in 100 of its 126 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Palestine: 63 in 100 of its 87 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 20)Kashmir: 33 in 100 of its 126 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.

Most of its news about harm

● Syria 73 in 100 of its 2,196 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Israel 52 in 100 of its 356 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Palestine 63 in 100 of its 87 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Afghanistan 58 in 100 of its 59 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Philippines 38 in 100 of its 362 stories · mostly health ● Bangladesh 39 in 100 of its 256 stories · mostly rights & justice

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Conflict & violence29% 2,699 stories · much more than usual (usually 14%) Health22% 2,004 stories · much less than usual (usually 29%) Rights & justice20% 1,836 stories · less than usual (usually 25%) Disasters & accidents15% 1,424 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 459 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 403 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 239 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 206 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 killed2,114 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,183 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting arrests853 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured496 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced259 at about twice the usual rate · most about Syria and Palestine Stories reporting refugees221 at about three times the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting abductions113 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Israel and Nigeria Stories reporting evacuations76 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill7 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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 much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than 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.