Good News Guest Post by Patricia
This is a guest post that Patricia actually meant to be a thread in the Personal Development Partners Forum. I loved the idea so much that I asked her if I could take it and share it here on my blog as a guest post. To our great fortune she agreed.
Thank you Patricia.
After reading Lyman’s ‘elephant’s post’ an idea started to go around my head.
To be honest, time yesterday and today was scarce and I couldn’t shape it as I wanted.
But, maybe if I tell you my idea and you happen to like it, we can find the way to implement it.Either we like it or not, we are exposed to the news very often, sometimes too often, depending on the case.
For some reason, negative news are given a much heavier weight and importance by the media than good news.
This is obvious, but let me give you 2 simple examples:
- One plane crush is in the news while thousands of successful flights aren’t.
- Unaccepted social behavior is in the news (kidnapping, robbery, etc.) while good behavior isn’t (good attitudes, favors, presents, etc.)
And this is cultural. There’s no essential reason why this should be so. The definition of the word ‘news’ does not include a negative component, as far as I know.
So: what if there was a way to gradually –or abruptly- drive media towards good news?
I know there are blogs or sites which only include good news, and are only read by people with certain profile, not the masses. However, how about that happening in every paper or news broadcast in the world, just as it happens with the negative? It would improve the world’s vibes!
Taking Priscilla’s long list as an example of something that can be built in a relatively short time and expand at such a speed, can we do something about it? Wouldn’t it be great?
My humble idea is this: What if each of us send a “letter to the editor” –e-mail of course- suggesting the inclusion of (more) good news in the media of our city/country/state/area and expressing our concern about why it has to be negative to become a piece of news. Each of us could send it to at least 5 newspapers or tv news programs.
Those 500 blogs from Priscilla’s list could participate in it too.
Counting 100 members of PDP plus 500 blogs we would be sending 3,000 similar letters.
We could make a list of the sites and rotate who sends to which and repeat the sending each week. Meaning that the 3,000 sites would receive a similar letter from 600 different people, one per week.
I definitely think they would consider there’s a new need in the market for good news.
Patricia
For those of you who would like to get on board but don’t want to write your own letter Patricia has done the work for you. Copy and paste as you wish.
Dear Sirs,
You are well aware of the power and social responsibility you have when publishing the news, articles and opinions, which are read by us, a huge amount of readers, who allow your publication to enter our homes & jobs, therefore our lives.The selection of information you include is daily molding our mood, thoughts and feelings, as individuals and as a society.Would it be possible to include in your paper more good news?
Would you consider publishing a totally positive main headline at the first page? It could happen that, by doing that, you could be improving our mood and have a positive effect on the happenings of the day.
With regards to sales, I can easily imagine what an impact it could cause to be the only newspaper with a positive headline at the news-stand!
You could even take advantage of it for your next marketing campaign: someone frowning while he goes through newspaper’s headlines and suddenly smiling when he reaches yours!
Why a person would want to read good news? Because it will make us feel better.
Why a journalist would prefer to write or report good news? Because it will make him feel better.
Why would an editor prefer to handle good news rather than bad news? Same answer.
I’m really interested in knowing what successful people from Iraq do.
I’m really interested in knowing how people live in the areas where hurricanes happen when they are out of their risky season.
I’m really interested in knowing how many planes a day fly successfully around the world.
I’m really interested in knowing how people feel when they achieve important goals.
The list of positive facts which are not reported daily is so long, in fact much longer than the negative ones, that there is vast material to work on.
If you think about this, I’m sure you’ll find this is an unexploited vein which could get to be a major success. And I sincerely hope that there will be many following you. And that the power of papers will benefit humanity, including yourself and those you love.
Thank you for your attention.
All the best,
17 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
September 23rd, 2007 @ 10:07 am
Hi,
I’m supposed to tell Priscilla that I’ve been added to the list. Here’s the link:
http://ailema4ever.blogspot.com/2007/09/tagged-priscilla-palmers-development.html
Thanks!
September 23rd, 2007 @ 10:44 am
Thanks Amel, you did just fine
.
September 23rd, 2007 @ 2:49 pm
I have been added to the list. http://kathysklavier.blogspot.com/2007/09/tagged-priscilla-palmers-development.html
September 24th, 2007 @ 2:28 am
What a beautiful idea!! I completely agree that focusing on positive news, achievements, and ideas could make this world a better place. Could make people feel better, give a positive vibe, give hope by showing the possibilities..
Just fyi (I’m not involved or anything), there is an inspiring magazine called Ode (” for intelligent optimists”) which only brings the positive news from around the world. This magazine only has a limited (but enthusiastic) group of readers though…
And that’s why I kind of wonder whether the big newspaper/tv news might feel ’some’ hesitation/reluctance towards this.. We live in a day and age where people are overloaded with information. Their attention is only drawn by ‘breaking’ news. And, unfortunately, this often is only the negative news. Positive news doesn’t trigger that ‘curiosity’ that is needed.. And having said that, the (instant) commercial benefit of displaying positive news in the headlines might be small (in terms of newspapers sold, tv news ratings)…
With that in mind, I still think your idea is wonderful.
I do wonder however whether targeting the headlines is the best approach.. A suggestion might be a regular (daily) column or page in a newspaper bringing only good news might?? This could still have the same marketing and sales benefits.
I’m just mentioning this because I’m afraid that if we/you are going for the optimum (headlines), the editors might reject the idea instantly. Instead of listening, and focusing on the idea behind it, and searching for a solution everyone will benefit…
Anyway, this is in no way intended to be negative towards your idea, quite the opposite really. Just a suggestion which I’m wondering about that maybe could make the effect stronger??
I will write about this on my own blog this week, the more attention the better right!
Ellen
September 24th, 2007 @ 7:03 pm
Ellen-
Thanks for your comment and concern. You have a point but, could it be that’s just how we are programmed? (I don’t want to contradict what you are saying here but, I’d like to push a little further.) See what you think of this.
I find myself wondering if maybe “breaking news” is usually bad and more intense because of where the focus has been for so long. I have a hard time believing that
-for example- If the news had a “breaking news” story of a business man in your home town willing to pay $50,000.00 to the person with the best entrepreneurial idea of attention, that this kind of story wouldn’t get a strong reaction.
This kind of offer is made behind the seens everyday but, rarely do we hear about it unless something goes wrong. Why? I doubt that it’s because people just wouldn’t be interested.
September 24th, 2007 @ 8:17 pm
Good idea. Much can be accomplished via blogging and the web. Positive vibes are definitely needed.
September 24th, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
Mimi- I loved the idea the second I read Patricia’s post. I think she is really on to something here. Wouldn’t it be great if this could be a catalyst for positive change?
September 24th, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
Hi Priscilla,
thank you for adding me to the Personal Development List!! And thanks for your reply, I really would love to discuss it some more! It definitely would be wonderful if we could initiate even the smallest step towards positive change.. Towards that positive vibe..
And I have to be honest, I’m really not sure either if people really aren’t interested.. it’s something I’ve been wondering about for some time now. I’m a fundraiser myself, and the one thing we as as charity sector are struggling with on a daily basis is the fact that for charities it is exactly the same mechanism (in our country at least). If something goes wrong with a charity (e.g. employee steals money, or project fails) it is all over the headlines. However, all the successes and achievements never seem to be interesting enough to make it to the headlines. As as result, people become more and more sceptical towards charities… Which really is a shame, for all parties concerned.
I’ve been thinking about this (because I really do love it!), and I wondered if it would be nice to have some follow-up on it. Keep track of how many letters are sent, and ask one of the editors to give a reaction on it. E.g. on your blog. So, to start a dialogue on the concept of having more positive news. For the editor participating, this could be a beautiful way to promote his paper. For the others, a way of thinking could start…
September 25th, 2007 @ 5:58 am
Ellen- Wow. That sounds interesting, I wonder how we could follow up… Maybe some of you would like to post your experiences here. If anyone is an editor what are your opinions?
I have sent out my 5 letters. So, far I have heard nothing back. I’ll let you all know if I do.
September 27th, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
Hi there, I think you have a wonderful idea there, I tend to agree with Ellen though, that by aiming for the front page editors will dismiss on site instead of giving it the attention it deserves. I, like Ellen, don’t quite know though, whether this is just conditioning. It’s certainly worth a try and I guess if we don’t get anywhere, we could do it all again but next time asking for a page dedicated to good news. I really hope it works, it would do people the world of good, myself included. Jen : )
September 27th, 2007 @ 11:10 pm
Woo-Hoo…Love it!
To your Spectacular September!
Bea Kunz
September 27th, 2007 @ 11:33 pm
Bea- Thank you! You have brightened my day thank you.
Jennifer- I’m sure many editors will have the same reaction. In that case I’d say let’s ask for what we can get. A page is a good start.
September 28th, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
Hi,
I’ve also sent my 5 letters and though I would like to hear something back, I feel that the grain of sand is already put, as far as the editor reads the letter.
This weekend I intend to send 10 more letters, to Spanish speaking newspapers.
Following the result up is probably too difficult, but thinking about it and high-vibrating about it, as we are doing right now, is manifesting it.
And, believe it or not, today was the FIRST day in 1 month and a half when I read a good news in one of the newspapers I check on daily.
It’s not one of the papers I wrote to, but still… our thinking about it and our good vibrations towards the subject is manifesting it and that is awesome.
I’m super happy to know you have liked the idea and you are willing to do things about it.
One more suggestion: when reading a newspaper, we could look for the good news. Trully expecting them. Feeling the good news coming. This may have a more efficient effect than the letter. The letter is meant to reach the Editor’s intellect and there we face the problems you and Aaron at PDP have stated. But high vibrating about it goes to the core of the thing.
Have a great day!
Patricia
October 6th, 2007 @ 8:54 am
Where did all the Goods News go?
Are we supposed to be boosters or promoters? What are we supposed to be? Not destroyers of community; not extinguishers of hope. We need to think about our impact. We tend to say we don’t have one; we just pass
October 7th, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
Hi Priscilla,
thanks for leaving a comment on my post about Positive News!
I am really curious though what you mean with your comment on this being a cultural thing, that only exists in the a few societies.
Would you please explain this one further to me? I’m really not aware of this, or what other cultures you’re referring to!
thanks!!
Ellen
October 8th, 2007 @ 8:41 pm
Ellen- Great question! I am going to give you a reference to the book “The 8th Habit” by Steven Covey because, I can’t remember the name right of off of the country I specifically had in mind when I wrote this. With the book (or at least some versions of it) he includes a DVD with several short videos on it. This video shows a clip of a multi-cultural country, this is the culture I had in mind when I wrote that comment.
October 11th, 2007 @ 3:31 am
Hi Priscilla,
thanks for your reply and your book tip. They’re always welcome!!
I’ve already been looking for the book, and am about to order it.. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find a version that includes that DVD.. It isn’t on YouTube eiter…
Which really is a shame, because your comments have really made me curious now… The fact that the way we handle news is set by culture, and that other’s handle this differently is definitely interesting…
I’ll keep on looking for it, but if it does come to mind, please do let me know!!
thanks!!
Ellen