Death. Destruction. Despair. These are all things that could deter someone from opening up a daily newspaper. It’s news, but in a world where “if it bleeds it leads,” news can make the world seem downright depressing. The Huffington Post now has a solution. On January 12 it announced the creation of an entire section dedicated to “good news.”
In an online announcement, Arianna Huffington wrote, “[S]tories of real people and their countless acts of empathy and ingenuity are overshadowed not only by actual crises,” but often also by manufactured ones. The Good News section’s mission is to tell these stories and show “what is working.”
The old adage is that money can’t buy happiness, but it sure does make for a strong seller. Just look at Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, which has been on the New York Times’ Bestseller List for 44 weeks. People obviously want to feel good about life.
The Good News section is much like the last story in a newscast, where human-interest pieces are meant to leave you feeling just a little better about the world around you. But a whole section devoted to the “good” in the world isn’t a new idea. GOOD magazine, the Daily Good, Ode magazine, Great News Network and CNN Heroes are among the sites that have already tapped into the idea—and The Huffington Post is partnering with them.
There’s a market full of people cynical about news, after all, and Arianna’s Good News section might just have what it takes to corner it.
Lead image via The Aspen Institute.
About the author
Leah Wong was the Senior Online Editor of the Summer 2012 issue of the Ryerson Review of Journalism.