Think of the word “news” and you inevitably think of tickers streaming across the television screen, aircraft circling over war zones and anchors looking stern (except if they’re Rachel Maddow, Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert).
There’s a market for good news, especially during a recession. In fact, we just began a daily column of good news called “Chin Up in the Downswing,” written by our finance writer Anne Szustek. Anne is also creating a Twitter account devoted to good economic news. (Read our second, March 12 installment of the series, "Chin Up in the Downswing: Buckle, American Public Education, Short Selling Uptick Rule.")
Sites like the Good News Network and Happy News run the gamut from happy health news to happy financial news. Happy News also has videos and reviews of so-called happy products. Another such site is Gimundo, which also has videos and hopeful stories from around the globe.
The teen volunteering site Do Something has a blog, Celebs Gone Good, that spotlights celebrities who are volunteers or otherwise active in philanthropy.
Netherlands-based Ode Magazine is a proponent of good news (get their news in a nutshell by following them on Twitter). As co-founder and editor-in-chief Jurriaan Kamp explains the effect of the mainstream media, “We only learn about whatever goes wrong. And then we are supposed to believe that that is our reality.”
You can always spread your own positive message through volunteering, which this news story tells us has not been dwindling during the recession. Peruse our Web Guide to Philanthropy and Nonprofits to find more ways to create your own good news.
Liz Colville
Senior Writer
Audience Development
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