SWJED
06-17-2007, 08:58 AM
16 June Chicago Tribune editorial - Here's the Good News (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0616edit2jun16,0,1039353.story?coll=chi-newsopinion-hed).
... Contrary to popular opinion, however, most newspaper editors don't seek to highlight the negative. (Unlike some broadcast outlets, where the famous slogan is, "If it bleeds, it leads.") Newspapers scour the world every day and exclude most of the depressing stuff that happens. But it is kind of hard to ignore all death, destruction, war, famine, disease, terrorism, natural calamities ... uh, sorry. The list gets kind of long....
But our suspicion is that most other readers might tire of this endless stream of smiley-face reportage. The human being, in our view, isn't programmed for incessantly good news. The human being is wired to expect bad things to happen, eventually. Humanity didn't survive this far by cowering in caves and believing everything was great. We knew the woolly mammoths lurked. We were quick to spot movement in the tall grass...
Good news restores a sense of balance. But a steady diet of nothing but stories of people triumphing against odds, of daring rescues, of astounding medical breakthroughs, plucky dog heroes, amazingly generous gifts by anonymous donors, moving tales of siblings united after decades -- in other words, the vast gamut of good news that often appears here and elsewhere? Nah. We know life isn't that way. The only way to define the good is by the bad. There's no light without darkness.
So next time you find yourself yearning for a break from the calamities reported here and elsewhere, remember, it could be worse. We could print only good news.
... Contrary to popular opinion, however, most newspaper editors don't seek to highlight the negative. (Unlike some broadcast outlets, where the famous slogan is, "If it bleeds, it leads.") Newspapers scour the world every day and exclude most of the depressing stuff that happens. But it is kind of hard to ignore all death, destruction, war, famine, disease, terrorism, natural calamities ... uh, sorry. The list gets kind of long....
But our suspicion is that most other readers might tire of this endless stream of smiley-face reportage. The human being, in our view, isn't programmed for incessantly good news. The human being is wired to expect bad things to happen, eventually. Humanity didn't survive this far by cowering in caves and believing everything was great. We knew the woolly mammoths lurked. We were quick to spot movement in the tall grass...
Good news restores a sense of balance. But a steady diet of nothing but stories of people triumphing against odds, of daring rescues, of astounding medical breakthroughs, plucky dog heroes, amazingly generous gifts by anonymous donors, moving tales of siblings united after decades -- in other words, the vast gamut of good news that often appears here and elsewhere? Nah. We know life isn't that way. The only way to define the good is by the bad. There's no light without darkness.
So next time you find yourself yearning for a break from the calamities reported here and elsewhere, remember, it could be worse. We could print only good news.