The old Fleet Street newspaper editor was sadly on the money when he described the news business in five words: “If it bleeds, it leads.” So was the humorist who noted that it isn’t often that you see the headline: “Plane Lands Safely.”
Despite the doom and gloom that pollutes the airwaves and fills the newspapers to overflowing, there is a surprising amount of positive, inspiring stuff happening all the time. It is a shame we have to make an effort to uncover it sometimes.
This story is really good news – reported in the UK Daily Telegraph, about the plan to spread anti-malaria crops in the developing world. Scientists at the University of York believe the new breed of the Artemisia annua plant will be available for poor farmers as a cash crop within two years. It will help fight the spread of malaria, as well as provide a new source of income for struggling communities.
The initiative is supported by grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization doing remarkable things on a huge scale. Above all, it is a brilliant, innovative way to save lives.
If you’re in the mood for more uplifting stories, check out GNN — Good News Now. It’s worth a look.
I love the story about the 7 year-old English boy who raised £200,000 for victims of the Haiti earthquake. Or the Chicago high school student who won a $40,000 prize for her cancer research. Let’s keep hunting out stories like these – and send the links to a hundred of our closest friends.
