Good news only: Where to find good news online
There’s more good news in the world than you might think.
From COVID-19 to climate disasters and record-breaking weather events, it can be hard to find an uplifting article.
It feels like you have two choices – to ignore the news completely (and risk being uninformed about important current events) or to suffer through the negativity.
But, there’s actually a third choice – to actively seek out good news. Here are six places to find good news online.
1. The Good News Network
Founded in 1997, the Good News Network (GNN) describes itself as “an antidote to the barrage of negativity experienced in the mainstream media”. The GNN website is home to 21,000 good news stories and counting. There’s also a GNN app, book, podcast, and newsletter.
2. The Optimist Daily
The Optimist Daily is an independent, reader-funded publication that publishes solutions, not stories. Its mission is “to accelerate the shift in human consciousness by catalysing 100,000,000 people to start each day with a positive solutions mindset”. The Optimist Daily publishes everything from in-depth climate change articles to tips for eating more vegetables.
3. Positive News
Positive News is a media organisation with a website and a quarterly print magazine. The website reads: “We are pioneers of ‘constructive journalism’ – a new approach in the media, which is about rigorous and relevant journalism that is focused on progress, possibility, and solutions”. Positive News publishes content across six core categories: Society, Environment, Lifestyle, Science, Economics, and Opinion.
4. Reddit’s uplifting news thread
If you like reading news from a range of sources, Reddit’s uplifting news thread could be a good option. It’s “a place to read and share positive and uplifting, feel-good news stories”. The thread looks and feels a lot like a social media newsfeed, only without the other distractions. Of course, as anyone can post a link to a story, the content on this thread will be a mixed bag – although, the moderators do their best to keep it all uplifting.
5. HuffPost Good News
A subsection of the wider HuffPost website, the HuffPost Good News feed curates all articles tagged ‘Good News’ into one positive, uplifting place. Articles vary widely – expect everything from serious journalism to pictures of fluffy animals.
6. Reasons to be Cheerful
Reasons to be Cheerful is the newest publication on this list, having launched in August 2019. Founded by artist and musician David Byrne, the online magazine aims to be “a tonic for tumultuous times” and share “stories of hope, rooted in evidence”. So far, it focuses on eight core categories: Civic Engagement, Climate/Energy, Culture, Economics, Education, Health, Science/Tech, and Urban/Transportation.
Tips for reading negative news
Here are some ways to protect your stress levels when you do read negative news stories.
Avoid using social media as a newsfeed. Social media platforms tend to push divisive, clickbaity content because it generates more views, comments, and interactions. The point of clickbait is to inflame rather than inform, so approach news shared on social media with caution.
Aim for quality over quantity. Too much exposure to negative news can put us in fight-or-flight mode, causing us to feel stressed or unsafe. Try to limit your exposure. When you do engage, set aside some quiet time to mindfully watch the news or read a few in-depth articles about topics of interest, instead of skim-reading negative headlines multiple times a day.
Don’t read the news first thing in the morning or late at night. Be mindful of when you choose to read the news. Reading a negative news story first thing in the morning could tinge your whole day with sadness. And, reading negative news right before bed might disrupt your sleep. Try to read news as far away from sleep as possible.
