Oct 172011
 
Daily News

Image by Enokson via Flickr

Who do those reporters think they are?

This news situation isn’t getting any better. This week was another bust for positive news.  I don’t know what those reporters think they are doing. It’s like they know better than we do what we want to read. Last time I checked, this was still a free country. Maybe we have to buy health insurance but so far we don’t have to buy newspapers or turn on the TV. They still have to make us want to.

So how can we take the news business back?

It’s going to take some discipline because it’s hard to take control when you have been conditioned to get your news from the ‘experts’. It’s not easy thinking for yourself and deciding what you think is important.   Still the time is here when we have to take actions.  I have never seen such a flat our refusal to give us good news in my lifetime, and I’m no spring chicken.

Is it intentional?

I don’t know whether the reporters are doing this on purpose or if they are just too fat-assed lazy to dig deep enough to find the silver linings. I’d like to think that reporters are real people just like you and me but I’m beginning to doubt it. They seem to think that we should lap up any old stories they find, especially if they are bad news. Reporters these days only know how to parrot press releases and follow the bandwagon. I hate to be negative about anybody but when they go negative on me it’s hard to hold back.

It’s not that hard to go positive!

Take this story.

JPMorgan Forecasts Another Drop in Home Prices

Sometimes it only takes a tweak to change bad news into good. Look at it from another perspective and it all changes. Take this news about further drops in the housing prices. Sure it may be bad news for homeowners who are under water but think about what it means for the homeless. Each time the price of housing drops, more homeless people can afford to get off the street and into a home. Why didn’t they say it like this?

Good news for the homeless with anticipated further drops in housing prices.

In this next story, it’s similar. Europeans were fearful of eating vegetables because of recent illness. Early news suggested that the only way to protect yourself was to stop eating vegetables but now there is good news. Broccoli and zucchini are fine. Just pass on the sprouts. I was doing that anyway.

Germany: Sprouts are cause of E. coli outbreak

Change the headline and it becomes positive.

It’s OK to eat those veggies, just hold the sprouts.

So that’s my suggestion for reporters this week. If you can’t find good news then take the bad news and dig deeper. Get off your duffs and do a little work.

And now for some of the good news we want to hear.  It’s not true but then 95% of the stuff on the news is made up anyway so why not make it cheery?

“Don’t Fear the Beer!”  Beer bellies are healthy.

New Obama plan to stimulate the economy, Michelle to vacation in the US this year.

College tuition rates drop as students decide college is not worth the bother

Now it is your turn. Either turn around a bad news headline from the paper today or make up a good news headline of your own. Don’t let the media ruin your life. You are more than qualified to do it all by yourself.


Ralph

Ralph is the inspiration for Cantankerous Old Coots and is our Grand Duke of Cantankerousness

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  3 Responses to “Coots News Service Good News Report for June 12,2011”

  1. Due to the flooding along the Mississippi river basin, corn yields will shrink by 30% this year, driving up food prices for all.
    Good news is, now that food prices will skyrocket, what better time to start that diet your doctor says you should do.

  2. Hansi,
    That was a bit long for a headline but you’ve got the right spirit. I’m sure you will only get better with practise- maybe even add some positive to your drawings.

  3. Hansi, drought last year in the corn belt so I hear. Fun times!

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