As I pondered the subject for today’s blog, I briefly reviewed the headlines of the news going on in the world. There’s tragedy everywhere. Nearly every single headline had to do with something terrible. Doesn’t anything good ever happen?
As I thought about this for a while, I realized good things happen all the time; they’re just not considered “news-worthy”.
News media is all about profit. Don’t get me wrong, profit’s not a bad thing. It’s absolutely essential in order for a company to survive. What pays the bills of news media? Ads. The more ads they sell, the easier it is for the company to stay afloat. In order to sell ad time (or space, in printed material), you have to have viewership. The more viewers you have, the easier it is to sell ad time or space. More viewers = easier to sell ads = easier to pay its employees and shareholders = easier to keep the company going.
What attracts viewers? Sensational headlines. The worse the scandal, the juicier the gossip, the more offensive the offense, the more people tune in.
I performed a very non-scientific study this morning on two of the top news outlets. In the top 35 stories in one of them, there were 31 negative stories and only 4 positive stories. In the other one, there were 30 negative stories and only 5 positive stories.
Is the world really so bad that news media can’t find positive stories to run? Of course not. The simple fact is people aren’t nearly as attracted to positive stories as they are to negative stories.
I wondered if there were any news media outlets that focused primarily on positive stories. I went to my good friend at OpenAI to find out. What I learned is there are at least five of these types of outlets, and possibly more. The top five were:
- Good News Network – Founded in 1997, this platform is dedicated to sharing positive news stories from around the world, ranging from inspiring human interest pieces to scientific breakthroughs. (Website: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ )
- Positive News – Based in the UK, this magazine and website focus on constructive journalism, highlighting solutions, progress, and innovation that contributes to a better world. (Website: https://www.positive.news/ )
- Upworthy – Although this outlet covers a wide range of topics, it’s known for its focus on stories that uplift and inspire, often with an emphasis on social issues and human interest. (Website: https://www.upworthy.com/ )
- The Optimist Daily – This site aims to provide solutions-oriented journalism by covering positive news and innovations in fields like science, health and the environment. (Website:https://www.optimistdaily.com )
- Good Good Good – This platform produces a monthly print newspaper called “The Goodnewspaper” and runs a website that covers stories of people doing good and positive developments around the globe. (Website: https://www.goodgoodgood.co/ )
Have you ever heard of any of these? No, neither had I. Why do you think that is? Probably because they don’t have the funds to compete with the bigger news outlets. Why don’t they have the funds? Because people are drawn to negative headlines. That’s pretty sad when you think about it.
I’m going to make it a point to check out these positive news outlets. In a later blog, I’ll tell you what I found.
Why am I writing about the negativity of our news? Because when negativity surrounds you, it’s all that much harder to maintain a positive attitude.
We’ve been talking a lot about maintaining a positive attitude lately. It’s essential when you have Myasthenia Gravis for the host of reasons we’ve already discussed. You’re already facing more difficulties and limitations than usual, so it’s much easier to get down. Why would you want to compound that by reading headlines on a daily basis that are focused on negativity?
I’m not asking you to stop reading the news. It’s important to stay updated on what’s going on in the world. Instead, I’m asking you to include some positive headlines along with all those negative headlines. By the way, that will be impossible to do from the normal news services, so going to one or more of the sites listed above may help you.
I’m also going to issue you a challenge. The next time you turn to the news to catch up on what’s happening in the world, also pull up one of the above sites. Eventually, go through all those sites and choose a favorite. Then add it to your daily reading. In addition, send me a comment with which positive news outlet you prefer and a short description on why you chose it.
Working towards a positive attitude takes courage and persistence, but it’s so important, especially when you’re dealing with a chronic condition like Myasthenia Gravis. One way to do that is to make way for some positivity in your life by pushing a little of the negative out.
I think you’ll be surprised.