In recent years we have seen our fair share of negative news coverage at a continuously increasing and damaging rate. 

Whilst it’s important to know what is happening in the world, and what might affect us as individuals, I fear there is a hidden undertone of doom and gloom bombardment. 

It is the physiological equivalent of a woodpecker on a tree trunk, or in other words, mental terrorism. 

In recent years the vast majority of news coverage on all news channels and media outlets has either been covering how the world will end due to climate change , the country will suffer because of Brexit, terrorism, covid , crime, the war in Ukraine, the Economic climate, gender rights battles, racism, the stained history of Britain or constant bashing and playground coverage of the political war. 

Whilst it is voluntary to put on the news channels in our own homes, it is also so embedded in our culture and way of life that I do not believe the responsibility lies solely with the public to take action. I believe the media corporations have a collective responsibility to find the right balance. Find more positive news stories, find the local heroes, the charitable causes, the winning retailers, the peace activities, the stories of community integration, the stories of entrepreneurs, the acts of love. 

I cannot be the only one who is witnessing the negative affects on my parents, my friends and my own mental strength and resilience. I cannot be the only one who see’s how the media outlets thrive of the negativity to grab headlines and clickbait. To stir up the arguments, the conflict, the division. I cannot be the only one who thinks something has to change. 

Our homes used to be a place of comfort, of safety. But now, they are a place of doom and gloom. 

Life is precious, and we should find the positives. Reset the balance, and take collective action to regulate how we talk to one another, how we broadcast, how we look to the future, how we view the world and the day to day happenings. 

I propose , that regulation is introduced news channels and newspapers must strike a better balance between negative and positive coverage. That news broadcasts are restricted to 60% negative run time. 40% must be made up of positive news including subjects such as charitable fundraising success stories, local hero stories, community stories, thriving business stories or economic improvements. Force them to actually be journalists and find the stories, not just thrive of the drama and tell us the worlds going to end from climate catastrophe, nuclear war or a collapse of the economic system. 

No one can tell me that what we hear every day doesn’t impact how we feel. All these suicides, the rising mental health crisis, the human conflict. It’s all connected. It’s all linked.

It’s all fixable.