Positive news: why good news matters

Exploring why positive news gets less coverage in the press

Collage of pages from the “Positive news: why good news matters”  teaching resource showing the cover and lesson plan

Published 01 August 2025

About this lesson

“If it bleeds, it leads” is a well-known phrase in journalism – a reflection of how sensational or violent stories often dominate the headlines. But while dramatic news grabs attention, stories of progress and solutions are just as vital.

Why does bad news dominate the headlines? And should reporters pay more attention to positive news?

Use this lesson to help students:

  • Understand why negative news often gets more attention
  • Explore how headlines are crafted to attract clicks
  • Debate which news stories are more likely to receive attention

Skills and knowledge

  • Creativity

    Step 4: Generating ideas
    I create ideas to solve a problem
    Did you create ideas for your live news story?

    Step 6: Combining concepts
    I can combine ideas to make new ones
    Did you combine ideas in your group when you planned your headline?

    Step 11: Seeking perspectives
    I seek different perspectives to develop my ideas
    Did you discuss different people’s opinions when you sorted the headlines?

  • Knowledge

    I know that negative news often gets more attention than positive news.
    What are some of the tools used to make a news article more interesting?

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