Angus Hervey: Break the bad news bubble (Part 1)

Break the bad news bubble (Part 1)

We're stuck in a bad news bubble, says Angus Hervey, founder of Fix the News, an independent publication that reports stories of global progress. He shares some of the compelling stories too often left out of our daily news — from a decline in AIDS deaths to decreased deforestation in the Amazon to more effective school feeding programs and greater acceptance of LGBTQ people in many countries. (This conversation with TED's Whitney Pennington Rodgers was recorded on September 5, 2024.)

Mainstream news focuses on disasters and sudden crises, leaving quiet global progress overlooked. In recent years, AIDS deaths have dropped by 69 percent, Amazon deforestation has plummeted, and China hit its wind and solar goal six years early. Free school meal programs now reach nearly half a billion children, while violent crime in the United States is falling to historic lows. Stories of tolerance and rights, like Thailand’s legalization of same-sex marriage, signal a hopeful shift often missed in daily headlines.