Glass half-full journalism

Several years ago I read a magazine article about Goldie Hawn. In the interview she discussed her positive outlook on life. Although I couldn’t find any information about the interview or the direct quote, she said something to the effect that she prefers to think positive, with a “glass half-full” attitude.

That has become something of a mantra for me, so I’ve been wondering if there’s such a thing as “glass half-full journalism?”

I think “positivity” was part of the appeal of the late Tim Russert. He obviously loved politics and his job. His reporting demonstrated those feelings. Even when he was talking about something a little unpleasant, he seemed to look at a brighter side. He appeared to be the kind of guy you’d love to have a great conversation with, over a couple of beers.

I saw Mad Money’s Jim Cramer on television a few days ago and thought how different he is from Tim Russert. Tim seemed affable even when he was intensely reporting on election returns or interviewing a guest on Meet The Press. Jim seems like a rocket ready to go off into a crowd.

When I was growing up, we had a copy of Norman Vincent Peale’s book, The Power of Positive Thinking. We also had a couple of books published by The Reader’s Digest (if I remember correctly) that were full of positive, can-do, upbeat stories.

I don’t know of any such books today. Oh, sure, there are shelves filled with self-help books and maybe these were the forerunners of that genre. But where the self-help books are aimed at individuals, Peale and Reader’s Digest seemed somehow more aimed at a greater good.

Maybe that’s what I’m looking for…a journalism or media that promotes the greater good and sees the glass as half-full.