Good news doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves. In fact, good news rarely gets any attention at all. Newscasts are often filled with gory tales of death, destruction, and despair. It seems the worse the situation, the more people talk about it. While there's little doubt that negative news stories garner attention, provoke reactions, and encourage debate - is that a "good" thing? Research suggests the answer to that is - NO.
A 2014 article in Psychology Today, examined why the public loves bad news and the impact of negative news coverage. The article quoted Michael Robinson, author of a study by the Pew Research Center on news topics, economic correspondent Paul Solmon from Jim Lehrer's News Hour, and author Dan Ariely who wrote the book Predictably Irrational, all of whom agreed that negative news does indeed negatively impact those who watch or read it.
Staying positive is something worth striving for. It takes discipline just as most worthwhile activities do. And it's the small day-to-day actions, rather than the huge one-time gestures, that most help one maintain a positive mind set. For example, people who have lost large amounts of weight will often recount the small steps they take to maintain their new figures, such as parking farther from the front door or taking stairs instead of elevators. When it comes to staying positive, one might try to express more gratitude or be more forgiving of others. They might also simply remember to smile.
One of the most wonderful aspects of working in marketing is having the opportunity to tell the good news, to focus on the best features of a product, service, or company and relate those to the public. Even in times of crisis, marketing and PR personnel often are charged with finding the silver lining. Consider the way the real estate industry treats drawbacks of a particular property. A home isn't cramped, it's cozy. It's not in a bad neighborhood, it's in an up-and-coming area. It's not broken down, it's a fixer upper!
Being positive doesn't mean oblivious and being negative doesn't mean aware. Choosing to stay positive in spite of bad things in the world means "resilience." And that IS a good thing.