The Nightly News

I don't pay a lot of attention to the TV news. Even though I might one day call myself a journalist, days go by without me looking at anything in the daily paper other than the Jumble. I haven't really buried my head in the sand so much as I've become selective about how much negative energy I let in under my skin.

Let's face it, one can only hear so many stories about war, death, tornadoes that destroy whole towns, kidnappings, celebrities going to jail, and politicians not going to jail before she has to throw up her hands and say "enough". I asked my journalism teacher why the press is so focused on the negative and, sadly, his response was because that is what sells.

Wouldn't it be nice to think that there is enough positive stuff going on around the world that people would pay to read about it? I'm a bit of a Pollyanna, but I think it would work. Alas, I'm also enough of a cynic to wonder if there's that much good left on this crazy planet.

Tonight's news really pissed me off. I even sent an email to ABC and told them I felt like I'd been jabbed with a hot poker. It wasn't that tonight's reports were so much worse than other nights, I think maybe I'd just had my fill for the day.

Before I get carried away on my own personal rant, I want to turn things around and say how pleased I was by the "People in the News" report Charles Gibson gave before signing off. Two teenagers testified before Congress this week about their rather amazing Internet venture. They raised over three hundred thousand - THOUSAND - dollars to benefit people in Darfur.
And they did it by challenging friends, and friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends (you get the picture) on the Internet to donate money for the relief of some of Africa's most forgotten (if not forgotten, then neglected) people.

All I've got to say is this: Nick Anderson and Ana Slavin, you rock! Thank you for your generosity and kindness. You have planted the seed of hope not only for the people of Darfur, but also for those of us in this country who have grown weary of the day in and day out poop reports. And everyone knows that all it takes for a seed to grow is a little ray of sunshine and lots of manure. God bless you.

Want to read more or donate? Go to www.savedarfur.org
Merry ME

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