Learning from the kids

Scam, rape, murder, blast, firing, suicide, inflation, cheating, robbery, fraud, forgery are among the prominent news items one gets to see on the front pages of most daily news papers today. While it is important for each one of us to be aware of such incidents and trends to remain vigilant, the fact also remains that such news items or the tendency to sensationalize them, either in newspapers or television, creates negativity in the minds of the viewers and readers.

The increasing skepticism in society, the ever growing crisis of credibility of individuals and institutions, the pessimism among the youth, all point towards this negative trend. One of the ridiculous arguments or justifications given by those who dish out such negative recipes on the media is that the people want to read them or watch them. Had that been the case, then life would not have come to a standstill in this very country when serials like Ramayana and Mahabharata were telecast.

There is a growing demand for motivational and spiritual speakers; inspirational literature is selling like hot cakes; an increasing number of people are switching to entertainment channels from news channels. Indeed, people are looking for good news, positive information.

Thankfully, there is a new generation out there which prefers to look at the half glass filled than the half empty part. At the Amity University, these future stakeholders of our polity and economy bring out a regular newspaper ‘Global Times’ which oozes nothing but loads of optimism.


From sports to music and environment to gender issues, these student journalists from different branches of the Amity school chain look at the positive aspects of life. The institution too has gone out of its way to promote these hidden talents and such positive thoughts by organizing the annual GT Awards, which can compete with any television or media award ceremony in terms of glamour, categories and potential.

As for innovation, one saw teachers sashaying down the ramp not with cane but fans in their hands.

Kudos to Dr Amita Chauhan, Ms Vira Sharma and their team for such a positive venture.

Here, one is reminded of Geri Weis-Corbley, the founder and editor/publisher of the Good News Network, an effort which she began in 1997, “with a passion to serve humanity in doses of positive news.”

“I wanted to be the first person to really prove that good news sells”, she says and she has never looked back since then.

The Good News Network is a clearing house for the gathering and dissemination of positive compelling news stories from around the globe. “Daily stories will confirm what we already believe: good news itself is not in short supply; the advertising of it is”, says the TV journalist turned good news crusader.

According to her, negative news is an important staple of any well-informed citizenry and necessary for society's evolution. “But, today we are in dire need of a well-balanced media diet. There are many ways that positive news can improve our lives by bringing emotional well-being, health and even prosperity.”

The kids at Amity have shown us the way. For a change, let us, particularly the people in media, learn from these youngsters to be positive, to be the messengers of good news.