← 15 Dec Monday 16 December 2024 · to 23:59 UTC 17 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,943 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 power cuts in Georgia, evacuations in Russia and a disaster in Mamoudzou. Georgia's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostFiji 82 in 100 of its 136 stories, usually 22
RegionOceania 22 in 100 of its stories, usually 18
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 →
Health

Georgia

64 of its 97 stories (66%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Gudauri accounted for 40 of Georgia's 64 stories about harm, carried by 45 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at more than ten times the usual rate (47 stories). Power cuts were named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Georgia over 30 days → its stories → Gudauri stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

229 of its 741 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (13 stories). Oil spill was named in 19 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Russia over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Sudan

53 of its 69 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Fiji

112 of its 136 stories (82%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Lautoka accounted for 55 of Fiji's 112 stories about harm, carried by 147 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (34 stories). Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

France

170 of its 787 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (10 stories). Flooding was named in 19 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual, with drought and heavy rain.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Ireland

Reports of abductions ran at about 7 times the usual rate (6 stories). House fires were named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

Damascus accounted for 397 of Syria's 619 stories about harm, carried by 530 outlets. Earthquake was named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Somalia

24 of its 36 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Mozambique

20 of its 27 stories (74%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: polio in Pakistan (41 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); flooding in Zimbabwe (12 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); landslides in Philippines (11 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); flooding in France (19 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); house fires in Ireland (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

17 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 18 the day before
20 in 10017 in 10017 Nov24 Nov1 Dec8 Dec16 Dec17 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 1009 Dec: 19 in 10010 Dec: 18 in 10011 Dec: 17 in 10012 Dec: 17 in 10013 Dec: 17 in 10014 Dec: 17 in 10015 Dec: 18 in 10016 Dec: 17 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 14,943 stories about harm among 85,530 counted on 16 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

17 in every 100 of the day's 85,530 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. On 17 December 2023, a year earlier, the share was 19 in every 100, against 17 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Mayotte92 in 100 of its 91 stories · usually 54 · mostly disasters & accidents Fiji82 in 100 of its 136 stories · usually 22 · mostly health Sudan77 in 100 of its 69 stories · usually 64 · mostly rights & justice Georgia66 in 100 of its 97 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Syria66 in 100 of its 945 stories · usually 71 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Damascus Syria86 stories about protests or strikes, of its 397 Washington US68 stories about protests or strikes, of its 454 Delhi India31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 160 Valencia County US30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 44 Seoul South Korea26 stories about protests or strikes, of its 43

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: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: 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: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readMongolia: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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 lessPalestine: 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 lessIndonesia: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: 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: too little coverage to readNew 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: 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: too little coverage to readDR 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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 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: 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 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook 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: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualBangladesh: warmth about its own usualChhattisgarh, India -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 19 outletsOhio, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsVirginia, US -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 17 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 43 stories, carried by 27 outletsKivu, Rwanda -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 11 outletsRiyadh, Saudi Arabia -- disasters & accidents: 18 stories, carried by 20 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 23 stories, carried by 16 outletsPeshawar, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 47 stories, carried by 24 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

● Chhattisgarh India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 19 stories ● Ohio US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Virginia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 15 stories ● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 43 stories ● Kivu Rwanda about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health29% 4,286 stories · about as usual Rights & justice24% 3,469 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents17% 2,427 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence15% 2,138 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 1,002 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 544 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 507 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 312 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 killed3,723 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,661 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,606 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,038 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions256 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced231 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees193 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations82 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Russia Stories reporting people falling ill19 at about half the usual rate · most about Fiji and Australia

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.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little more than 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.