Negative News, Positive News

[PaxAnimi]

I was just watching a bit of the news with my mother and there was not a single positive thing mentioned. They had a top 10 stories which included the currently ragin forest fire here in Lake Tahoe, a few murder trials, something about global warming, etc. Not a single story showing the good in life, in humans, in anything. I find this very depressing so I thought I would search online for news stories that show this good.

A step towards alternative fuel (http://www.goodnewsdaily.com/show_story.php?ID=1046)

Man finds wallet after 43 years (http://www.goodnewsdaily.com/show_story.php?ID=1274)

Dalai Lama blesses stupa (http://www.goodnewsdaily.com/show_story.php?ID=1188)

If you have any positive news stories of your own or that you have found please share. I am tired of the news focusing on the negative.

[Jundo]

News is not focusing on the negative. You mind is focusing on the negative.

Stupa is already stupa, so no need to bless it or build it. Gassho, Jundo

(I'm like a bad nightclub comedian tonight. I've got a million old one-liners. The audience growns and throws their chairs. That being said, I do think our newsmedia and other media convey many one sided messages, harmful values to the public. )

[PaxAnimi]

Jundo,

You are right, you are right. Even if it is my mind focusing on the negative, I do wish the newsmedia would show more than just the tragedy of the world by including the 'good' that can come out of such tragedies. I was going to say something else on the subject, but it seems to have floated out of my mind.

Peace,
Sean

[Ryumon]

It's not so much interest, it's the shock value that keeps people's attention. After a while, that shock value (which has effects on the brain) needs to be maintained like a drug; people really expect it, even if many say they don't like it.

Kirk

[Al]

This topic is particularly interesting to me because I have a journalism degree and have been exposed to the "other side" of news media, so to speak.

One interesting point is that many times it is difficult to separate out truly positive news from a PR firm's skillfully written press release. Large news orgs receive literally thousands of press releases a day from people and organizations with their own agendas trying to get news coverage. Covering a great thing some company did to help others only ends up looking as though the news outlet is advertising the company or organization.

I think the reason for this is that the media in this country (at least as we were taught in journalism school at a large public university) is supposed to uphold the idea of an unbiased view. Personally I think only the most enlightened beings can truly be "unbiased" so by expecting unbiased news, we're holding media professionals to unrealistic standards that often keep them from covering "positive" news because it might look as though they're showing favor toward one thing or other.

That being said, I do absolutely agree that blood, death and brutality most often make the front pages. As another poster said, it's what the majority of Americans (unfortunately) are most willing to pay for.