← 19 Dec Friday 20 December 2024 · to 23:59 UTC 21 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
16,608 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 rights and justice in Zagreb, violence in Kyiv and people killed in Rwanda. Croatia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostCroatia 57 in 100 of its 107 stories, usually 15
RegionCentral Asia 16 in 100 of its stories, usually 13
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Rights & justice

Croatia

61 of its 107 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Zagreb accounted for 59 of Croatia's 61 stories about harm, carried by 184 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (55 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Croatia over 30 days → its stories → Zagreb stories →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

179 of its 529 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Kyiv accounted for 127 of Ukraine's 179 stories about harm, carried by 150 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (101 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Ukraine over 30 days → its stories → Kyiv stories →
Health

Rwanda

34 of its 60 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (20 stories). Outbreaks were named in 23 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual, with ebola.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

80 of its 241 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Germany

311 of its 933 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (183 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

France

212 of its 809 stories (26%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (29 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

233 of its 731 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

59 of its 222 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Denmark

53 of its 137 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (8 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Sudan

75 of its 97 stories (77%) were about people being harmed, usually 64%. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Mayotte (10 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); flooding in New Zealand (12 of its stories, about three times its usual); wildfires in Australia (25 of its stories, about three times its usual); rubella in South Africa (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); norovirus in Canada (14 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 18 the day before
20 in 10017 in 10021 Nov28 Nov5 Dec12 Dec20 Dec21 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 10017 Dec: 18 in 10018 Dec: 18 in 10019 Dec: 18 in 10020 Dec: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 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 16,608 stories about harm among 94,353 counted on 20 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

In Croatia, 57% of the news was about people being harmed, where 15% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 18 in every 100 of the day's 94,353 stories, as usual. Mentions of outbreaks ran about 6 times their usual in Rwanda's news. On 21 December 2023, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan77 in 100 of its 97 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine61 in 100 of its 208 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Syria60 in 100 of its 546 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Israel57 in 100 of its 605 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Croatia57 in 100 of its 107 stories · usually 15 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US88 stories about protests or strikes, of its 527 Delhi India83 stories about protests or strikes, of its 182 Damascus Syria74 stories about protests or strikes, of its 189 Jerusalem Israel35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 126 London UK30 stories about protests or strikes, of its 265

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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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: too little coverage to readSouth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: 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: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: 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: too little coverage to readLebanon: 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 lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: 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: too little coverage to readCape 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina 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: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: 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: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: 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: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: about as warm as its own usual or lessWallis & 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIreland: warmth about its own usualGandapur, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsFlorida, US -- health: 37 stories, carried by 51 outletsGlasgow, UK -- health: 29 stories, carried by 12 outletsPeshawar, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 17 outletsRiyadh, Saudi Arabia -- disasters & accidents: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsOhio, US -- health: 28 stories, carried by 42 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- health: 20 stories, carried by 12 outletsRome, Italy -- health: 29 stories, carried by 44 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

● Gandapur Pakistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Florida US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 37 stories ● Glasgow UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 29 stories ● Peshawar Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories ● Riyadh Saudi Arabia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 10 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health28% 4,600 stories · about as usual Rights & justice27% 4,349 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 2,656 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence13% 2,094 stories · less than usual (usually 15%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 999 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 614 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 593 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 336 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 killed4,014 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,964 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,834 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,459 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people displaced231 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions220 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees202 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations89 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting people falling ill54 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Canada

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 harsher than 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

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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.