← 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited 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: too little coverage to readTurkmenistan: 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: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: about as warm as its own usual or lessThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. 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 lessPoland: too little coverage to readPhilippines: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorway: 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: too little coverage to readNamibia: 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: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: too little coverage to readLesotho: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: 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 lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: too little coverage to readIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: too little coverage to readHungary: 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: 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: too little coverage to readFrance: 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: 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 lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial 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: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: too little coverage to readCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta 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: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: too little coverage to readCambodia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: 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 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: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: 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 lessGaza: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAmerican 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSyria: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualSwindon, UK -- disasters & accidents: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- health: 16 stories, carried by 11 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- disasters & accidents: 21 stories, carried by 13 outletsRiyadh, Saudi Arabia -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 20 outletsAccra, Ghana -- conflict & violence: 23 stories, carried by 43 outletsAtlanta, US -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 27 stories, carried by 106 outletsMumbai, India -- health: 30 stories, carried by 17 outletsOttawa, Canada -- deaths & injuries, cause not given: 10 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

● Swindon UK about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 11 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 16 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 21 stories ● Riyadh Saudi Arabia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories ● Accra Ghana about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 23 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

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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.