Good News Culture
1. INTRODUCTION
As described in Shimmers from the Shoal, positive news journalists are not normal journalists but rather *social entrepreneurs* turned journalist because they feel there is a need to get the message out and create a new media culture! Only few common journalists feel the burning, dynamic spirit, the idealism that fuels positive news writers. Please read Shimmers from the Shoal to understand the vision behind YL Magazine. Please follow the link to the updated version.
For anyone getting involved in this communication work, it is important to know the set and feel of our world and spirit that lies behind the stories. These are not academic texts, boring and void of emotion and vision. In fact positive change action relies on spirit and action. And knowledge. And processes and experiences and courage and joy.
Positive Media Culture is about capturing and communicating this spirit, the experience, the essentials, the knowhow, the contacts.
It differs from conventional good practice collections. Dull, databased, academic analytic speech without spirit, images, drive and links. It includes emotions (not faked, hyped, misleading like sensational newspapers) in authentic ways.
It gives positive change and good practices „living faces, living volices, and living hands – for action“ – through the description, the visualisation, the helpful contacts – since you can contact most of the actors and ask for some support in replication. Of course. It is their purpose to drive positive change, the inspiration that drove and drives them, and the shared heart and vision that will make them say „sure we will consult and help as much as we can.”
It differs from conventional journalism. Rational, distanced observers. It is written by social entrepreneurs beaming with the urge and drive and spirit of change, turned journalist to tell the people. To get the message and the positive example out. To tell there is hope, joy, vision, knowledge and help, for everyone to connect and change the world, their world, their lives, and thereby our common future.
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2. EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE CHANGE MEDIA
The veterans in Positive News publishing have been running newspapers in the UK since 1992 www.positivenews.org.uk. N+ Argentina www.noticiaspositivas.org has been running various radio magazine formats since 2003, reaching 3 million listeners weekly through 120 community radio stations. This would be the entire population of Berlin! And they are only a handful of people committing volunteer time… And YL is the only medium focussing on youth leadership, high end sustainability solutions, multilingual publication, participation and school use.
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We know of a few others in Portugal, India… some in the form of newsletters.
Finally, since 2008, some mainstream media have been catching up. In the wake of the Obama campaign, some progressive magazines in the US have changed from the usual opinion pieces and occasional Green Hero to presenting mostly good examples: people and projects that change the world! At last! Welcome to the family! www.yesmagazine.org www.grist.org www.odemagazine.com.
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There is also a journalist network that works on introducing this into media culture. www.Journalismthatmatters.com. Their main point is adding another question to where, who, what, when … What’s next? … = how do it better?
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So, you see, your involvement with YL is a training ground for the future in every respect. We explore paths that neither of them do. And you can be part of making it real.
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