Last week, in honor of the new year, I published a column laying out some good news – which I’ve tried to do regularly during my 40 or so years in the news business. Maybe it’s to sort of counter the perception that we folks in the media only care about bad news.
Now, it’s kind of egotistical to quote yourself, but in this case, it seems wasteful not to pass along my little list of Ten Good Things Happening Just Now, because they’ll be outdated momentarily. So with a bit more brevity than the patient readers of my columns in Upstate American (dot) com have come to expect, here are some departures from the generally gloomy reports that we journalists tend to present. Take heart, folks, from all this:
First, the world is waking up to the climate crisis. Near the end of the hottest year on record — and probably the hottest of the past 150,000 years — the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) was moderately successful in trying to help the planet avoid the worst effects of global warming. It didn’t schedule a “phase-out” of planet-killing fossil fuels, but it did urge a “transitioning away” from the technologies that are causing catastrophic global warming – and 200 nations pledged to triple new investments in renewable energy. That’s a big deal. Plus, an historic “High Seas Treaty” was signed in the fall aimed at protecting one-third of the world’s oceans. We’re not doing enough to avert disaster, but we’re making progress toward that goal.
Second among good news points: America’s economy is showing its resilience. Inflation is way down, a record number of Americans are working, and fears of a recession are, well, receding. The economy is growing brisky – over 5 percent last year – and consumer spending remains strong. You won’t hear this from Republican politicians or from their propaganda arm, Fox News, but this economic good news is clearly a result of carefully calibrated federal monetary and fiscal policies.
Third bit of good news: Some liars are being held to account. Speaking of Fox News, the “infotainment” giant agreed to pay more than $787 million to settle a lawsuit based on its knowingly false reporting backing up Donald Trump’s Big Lie about the election – showing that even in a society that rightly guards free speech, intentional disregard of truth can be expensive. That “thou shalt not lie” lesson was also presented to Rudy Giuliani, who declared bankruptcy to avoid having to pay a $148 million jury award to two Georgia election workers whom he defamed. And George Santos finally got kicked out of Congress! There’s still a lot of cynical balderdash being peddled by partisans, but both courts and the court of public opinion are beginning to call it out.
Fourth, justice is gaining on Donald Trump. The former president is finding the legal system less malleable than the so-called “low-information voters” who adore him. He is genuinely vulnerable as he faces 91 criminal counts in four separate prosecutions, as well as a collection of civil lawsuits, notably including New York Attorney General Tish James’ fraud suit. That could shut down Trump’s business in the state. We’ll see how the Trump-friendly U.S. Supreme Court rules on whether states have the right to block him from the ballot for violating the 14th amendment, but any reckoning for the mentally unbalanced man who is trying to subvert our democracy is good news, for sure.
Good news item Number 5: Crime is falling. Despite partisan claims that the nation is awash in crime, the murder rate dropped in 2023 by one of the fastest rates ever – and many other forms of violent crime are also down. Yet: There were more mass shootings in 2023 than in the year before. But as we mourn those needless deaths, let’s note that the political clout of the National Rifle Association is waning as its finances collapse – and that means the chance for thoughtful gun control is rising.
Good news item Number 6 is that we’re better protected against Covid-19, thanks to science and scientists.
Seventh, workers are gaining power in the marketplace as those strike settlements favoring the United Auto Workers and the writers and actors in Hollywood show. That’s good because it’s a step toward the resurgence of the middle class that has been shrinking in America since the rise of Reaganomics in the 1980s.
Number 8: Majorities are demanding their rights – that is, voters in seven states have restored abortion rights that were taken away by a Supreme Court that represents a minority of public opinion. Probably two dozen states will vote on abortion rights initiatives this year. So far, rights have prevailed everywhere that it has been on the ballot.
Good news bit Number 9 involves Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Barbie of the movies and, in Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Which is to say that strong women are carrying the day.
And, finally, it’s good news that good people are still making the world better. A toddler in Ontario who was face-down in icy water and technically dead is alive today because a team kept up with CPR for three hours. And in Virginia, when a troubled teenager leapt off a bridge, a stranger dove into the raging water below and dragged him to safety a mile downstream.
There are countless stories of such goodwill each year — and no, they’re not ignored by the media. When we notice them, they help renew our hope in each other, don’t you think?
So there: Ten examples of all the good news around us. You probably have your own ideas. So think on those on the many days when you’re probably almost overcome by the bad news globally or here at home. And, friends, keep hope alive.
Rex Smith, the co-host of The Media Project on WAMC, is the former editor of the Times Union of Albany and The Record in Troy. His weekly digital report, The Upstate American, is published by Substack.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.