← 26 Dec Friday 27 December 2024 · to 23:59 UTC 28 Dec →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
13,150 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 day's news pointed at plane crash in Russia, the tsunami in Sri Lanka and abductions in Kenya. Sri Lanka's coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostAzerbaijan 41 in 100 of its 292 stories, usually 17
RegionCentral Asia 35 in 100 of its stories, usually 23
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

Russia

407 of its 855 stories (48%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Moscow accounted for 244 of Russia's 407 stories about harm, carried by 469 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (116 stories). Plane crash was named in 88 of its stories about harm, about 8 times usual.

Russia over 30 days → its stories → Moscow stories →
Disasters & accidents

Sri Lanka

39 of its 133 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories). Tsunami was named in 13 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Sri Lanka over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Kenya

53 of its 142 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of abductions ran at more than ten times the usual rate (15 stories).

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

Yemen

112 of its 140 stories (80%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Sanaa accounted for 101 of Yemen's 112 stories about harm, carried by 126 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (62 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

North Korea

22 of its 71 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (15 stories). Illness was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

100 of its 147 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Gaza accounted for 77 of Palestine's 100 stories about harm, carried by 64 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Kazakhstan

54 of its 118 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Aktau accounted for 45 of Kazakhstan's 54 stories about harm, carried by 39 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (14 stories).

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Australia

298 of its 1,200 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (134 stories). Wildfires were named in 50 of its stories about harm, about three times usual, with storms and drought.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Syria

Damascus accounted for 61 of Syria's 120 stories about harm, carried by 75 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: flooding in Fiji (17 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); illness in North Korea (11 of its stories, about three times its usual); wildfires in Australia (50 of its stories, about three times its usual); hunger in Israel (72 of its stories, about three times its usual); flooding in China (19 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 18; 20 the day before
20 in 10017 in 10028 Nov5 Dec12 Dec19 Dec27 Dec28 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 10022 Dec: 18 in 10023 Dec: 18 in 10024 Dec: 18 in 10025 Dec: 19 in 10026 Dec: 20 in 10027 Dec: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 27 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 13,150 stories about harm among 68,033 counted on 27 Dec.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 68,033 stories, above the usual 18. A year earlier, on 28 December 2023, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Yemen80 in 100 of its 140 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine68 in 100 of its 147 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Mozambique67 in 100 of its 102 stories · usually 63 · mostly rights & justice Syria65 in 100 of its 185 stories · usually 69 · mostly conflict & violence Israel64 in 100 of its 718 stories · usually 59 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 385 Maputo Mozambique37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 45 Jerusalem Israel33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 198 Chennai India28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 49 Islamabad Pakistan28 stories about protests or strikes, of its 81

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: too little coverage to readYemen: 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 lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: 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: too little coverage to readUnited 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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 lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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 lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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: too little coverage to readEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: 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: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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: 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: 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 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: too little coverage to readBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontserrat: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: too little coverage to readGuernsey: 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: 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: 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 lessVanuatu: warmth about its own usualSyria: warmth about its own usualMozambique: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about its own usualTartous, Syria -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 37 outletsWest Virginia, US -- conflict & violence: 10 stories, carried by 10 outletsKabul, Afghanistan -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsHawaii, US -- health: 11 stories, carried by 16 outletsPhnom Penh, Cambodia -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsIbadan, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 30 stories, carried by 16 outletsAleppo, Syria -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 19 outletsMontreal, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 14 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

● Tartous Syria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● West Virginia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 10 stories ● Kabul Afghanistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories ● Hawaii US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 11 stories ● Phnom Penh Cambodia about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health26% 3,312 stories · about as usual Rights & justice23% 2,924 stories · less than usual (usually 25%) Disasters & accidents21% 2,766 stories · more than usual (usually 17%) Conflict & violence14% 1,812 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 910 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood4% 494 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 432 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 243 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 killed3,951 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting people affected1,507 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,475 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,143 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting people displaced219 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions206 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations96 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees90 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Syria and the US Stories reporting people falling ill12 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Brazil

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.