← 20 Dec Saturday 21 December 2024 · to 23:59 UTC 22 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
10,436 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to violence in Magdeburg, people injured in Nigeria and wildfires in Australia. Germany's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate, most often about Germany and the US →
Part of lifeRights & justice 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostGermany 64 in 100 of its 1,068 stories, usually 15
RegionCentral Asia 21 in 100 of its stories, usually 13
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 →
Conflict & violence

Germany

682 of its 1,068 stories (64%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Magdeburg accounted for 468 of Germany's 682 stories about harm, carried by 761 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (555 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Germany over 30 days → its stories → Magdeburg stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

313 of its 923 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (55 stories). Plague was named in 11 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Nigeria over 30 days → its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Australia

216 of its 915 stories (24%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 5 times the usual rate (7 stories). Wildfires were named in 38 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

Russia

140 of its 361 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (46 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Hungary

12 of its 37 stories (32%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Croatia

12 of its 24 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

85 of its 261 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (48 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

France

88 of its 379 stories (23%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Iran

36 of its 77 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Tehran accounted for 25 of Iran's 36 stories about harm, carried by 30 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (9 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Indonesia (14 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); bird flu in UK (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); building collapse in India (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); train derailment in US (25 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 18 the day before
20 in 10017 in 10022 Nov29 Nov6 Dec13 Dec21 Dec22 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 10021 Dec: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 10,436 stories about harm among 55,843 counted on 21 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Germany stood out: 64% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 15%. 19 in every 100 of the day's 55,843 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 18. People injured were reported at about three times the usual rate, most often about Germany and the US. Indonesia's news mentioned the earthquake about 4 times as often as usual. On 22 December 2023, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Syria66 in 100 of its 297 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Israel64 in 100 of its 446 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Germany64 in 100 of its 1,068 stories · usually 15 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan62 in 100 of its 52 stories · usually 47 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine61 in 100 of its 137 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Magdeburg Germany100 stories about protests or strikes, of its 468 Washington US53 stories about protests or strikes, of its 278 Damascus Syria28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 119 Islamabad Pakistan23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 76 Berlin Germany22 stories about protests or strikes, of its 83

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zambia: 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: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTanzania: 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: 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 lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: 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: too little coverage to readSt. 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: too little coverage to readPortugal: 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: too little coverage to readPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLatvia: 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 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: too little coverage to readHaiti: 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: 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: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia 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: 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: too little coverage to readArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBermuda: too little coverage to readBritish 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: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: 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 lessZimbabwe: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualSouth Africa: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualSouth Waziristan, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 24 stories, carried by 22 outletsChristian School, US -- rights & justice: 13 stories, carried by 25 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 10 outletsOhio, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsWest Midlands, UK -- health: 12 stories, carried by 11 outletsCalgary, Canada -- health: 10 stories, carried by 12 outletsAccra, Ghana -- rights & justice: 15 stories, carried by 13 outletsHarare, Zimbabwe -- health: 16 stories, carried by 11 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

● South Waziristan Pakistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 24 stories ● Christian School US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 13 stories ● Cambridge UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Ohio US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● West Midlands UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice26% 2,705 stories · about as usual Health25% 2,533 stories · less than usual (usually 28%) Disasters & accidents17% 1,771 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence16% 1,683 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 647 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 382 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 290 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 238 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 killed3,091 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Germany Stories reporting people injured1,489 at about three times the usual rate · most about Germany and the US Stories reporting arrests1,308 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected987 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions155 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees126 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced87 at about half the usual rate · most about Israel and Sudan Stories reporting evacuations65 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill15 at about two-thirds of 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 much harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little more than 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.