In 2020, people were struck by an overwhelming desire to consume good news.
Positive, uplifting stories have always been sought out, but this year, with a deadly pandemic, nationwide protests sparked by social injustice, and a stark political divide in America, good news was more than just lighthearted relief — it became a useful component to restoring lost hope.
John Krasinski’s quarantine YouTube series, Some Good News, acted as an unexpected life raft for people who felt disheartened by 2020’s continual stream of bad news. As the New York Times reported, Google searches for “good news” also saw a serious spike in April, and platforms dedicated to sharing positive content saw increased popularity this year, too.
While good news certainly doesn’t negate the bad news in the world, it does have the power to relieve and refresh you, so why not make consuming good news a regular act of self-care?
Next time you catch yourself doomscrolling, be sure to take a step back and seek out your daily dose of good news from one of the five sources below.
1. Good Good Good
Good Good Good, a media company founded by Branden Harvey, is a perfect place to find good news in a bunch of different formats. With a mission to “help people feel less overwhelmed and more equipped to make a meaningful difference,” Good Good Good offers subscriptions to a Goodnewspaper full of feel-good stories, a free weekly Goodnewsletter email of five articles that are sure to inspire, and a podcast called Sounds Good! that features a variety of encouraging guests. You can also follow Good Good Good on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for some extra positivity on your social media timelines.
2. Good News Network
Geri Weis-Corbley founded the Good News Network (GNN) in 1997 and has been sharing a carefully curated series of heartwarming stories ever since. The GNN website delivers fresh stories and has an archive of more than 20,000 good news articles in addition to an app for Android and iOS devices.
3. Positive social media accounts
Following Good Good Good’s Instagram page isn’t the only way to brighten your feed and break up your usual stream of friend and food posts. Other popular good news accounts include @GoodNews_Movement, @TanksGoodNews, @Sunny_Side_News, @The_Happy_Broadcast, and @SomeGoodNews. Though Some Good News is on hiatus right now, fans still regularly submit and share their own heartwarming stories using the #SomeGoodNews hashtag, so be sure to search and browse that on Instagram or Twitter if you’re looking for some extra joy.
4. The Uplifting News subreddit
Subreddits like r/UpliftingNews offer a space where people can share their own hopeful experiences, post good news stories from online publications, and interact with other users to form positive connections. A win, win, win! (Also, be sure to check out r/PupliftingNews if you’re a dog person.)
5. Other trusted sources online
While certain websites are solely dedicated to the spread of good news, other trusted sources are making efforts to spread some cheer on a regular basis, too. Huffington Post, Today, and MSN all have dedicated Good News sections on their websites that you can browse, and the Washington Post offers a bi-weekly newsletter of uplifting articles.
Other sites, including Global Citizen, TED, and SoulPancake are also wonderful hubs of informative, inspiring content that’s sure to brighten your day.
Just because there’s no shortage of bad news doesn’t mean all news is bad. There are a bunch of good news stories out there just waiting to be uncovered.