Making Good News the Headline Story

Rising taxes. Increasing cost of living. Housing foreclosures. Mental illness. Alcoholism. Gambling. Rising obesity levels. Unemployment.

Civil war in Syria. Famine in Somalia. Cholera in Haiti. Flooding in Thailand. Gang warfare in Mexico. Homes destroyed. Families displaced. Refugee camps overflowing with human suffering.

I don’t know about you, but when I watch the news, it almost ruins my whole day.

Noam Chomsky would warn us to be critical of the news media, which he argues, aims to nurture our fears and therefore support (or quietly condone) otherwise unpopular political decisions. (See in particular “Manufacturing Consent”, which was later made into a documentary). Much has been written following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States about the media’s complicity in ‘promoting’ fear of Muslim extremists, and the subsequent war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The political underpinnings of the news media aside, we all rely on the media to keep us informed of what is going on – locally, nationally, regionally and internationally.

While the hard, sad and tragic realities of life are too important to ignore, Stories for Change wants to bring some happy balance back to our days.

Five years ago, Mahima and Aashi, the girls behind Stories for Change, were inspired by stories of hope, success, love, and positive difference they were hearing from people right across the globe. Born of the belief that powerful, positive stories can unite people and societies, Stories for Change will tell tales of hope and positive change—on issues from environment to women’s empowerment and everything in between. In addition, a documentary film will be produced, with the hope of taking the good news to even larger audiences.

With a campaign tipping point of $1,000, Stories for Change will be able to gather stories of positive change and produce the documentary. The campaign, which is already half way to reaching its tipping point, aims to be part of a global movement, celebrating the good in the world. Balance is a central tenant in Buddhism. Stories for Change aims to bring some balance back to the news. It aims to turn those frowns upside down!

Will you join the campaign to make good news the headline story? You have just 10 days left to get behind this inspired campaign!

Casey McCarthy

I’m a media, communications and advocacy professional who has lived and worked in London, with government in Australia, and the United Nations in Bangladesh and Cambodia – and I’ve travelled everywhere in between (well, not everywhere…yet!). I have a journalism degree and recently completed a Masters in Communication for Development, with a thesis on media development. With loads of volunteering and writing experience, I’m excited to be part of the inspiring social entrepreneurship space. I’m now based in San Diego, California. You can find me on Twitter at @caseymac81.