Well, you’d rarely know it by reading the news!  Today’s headlines commonly focus on bad news and negative events.  Let’s face it, the preponderance of bad news versus good is a media fact, and it’s driven by the premise that bad news sells, is preferable because it’s sensational, and we all want it.  Baloney!

Bestowed with ability to reach vast numbers of viewers, Internet news organizations are squandering a golden opportunity for balancing news coverage with in-depth and thoughtful commentary on positive things people are doing.  Headlines nearly always focus on crime, disease or catastrophe, which curiously enough tend to perpetuate their recurrence. Little wonder, with mass media’s continual bombardment keeping them top of mind.

With the exception of a couple of world-renowned news organizations, the worst offenders for headlining bad news include some of the best-known sources on the web.  Rather than name them here, simply go to your favorite online news source, and see if the shoe fits.  Equally at fault are the search engines. With all their flair for innovative access to information and data, their news areas boast a dearth of good news or positive events.  Worse yet, as news sources, search engines offer stories that run a mile wide and an inch deep with little or no focus on constructive, thought provoking commentary.

Now you may ask, “What does all this have to do with designing and building a website?”  Maybe nothing, or perhaps this:  Your website is an opportunity to message the world about the positive impact your products or services convey, in light of fostering a greater good.  There are numerous ways to uplift your audience with your message.  Do it with a blog, your mission statement, or your service pledge.  The world needs more optimism, and you have a platform for being heard.