Even though most of us are loath to admit it, we absolutely love reading negative news stories. Whether it is poring over details of the alleged
battering of Rhianna by Chris Brown, shedding a tear over
Jade Goody's terrible ordeal in the UK or even reading depressing tales about the credit crunch and property prices- if a publication prints it, we will read it. These kinds of stories
sell newspapers and magazines.
I wonder why this is.... Is it because stories about the downtrodden and desperate make us feel better about our own lives? Is it because these tales give us something to gossip about with our friends and work colleagues?
Whatever the reason- I'm sick of it. I want to read stories about people and businesses who are bucking the trend and are doing well, despite the current economic enviroment. Some newspapers are having a stab at providing this. I recently read a regional newspaper that was making a special effort to publish positive stories about businesses in the area. Unfourtunately, the name of the paper has totally escaped me...if anyone can remind me, I would be very grateful!
The folks at NZ PR company,
Durning PR, are also doing their bit to tempt us out of our current negative mindset. They have just launched their own
'Gloombuster Awards' to reward businesses with positive stories to tell.
If you are a business owner with a good story to tell, make sure you get in touch with your local paper and let them know about it. Some types of negative news stories do sell papers. But I think more and more people are reaching the same mindset as me. Enough of the depressing news angles- give us some positivity!
