From Negative Biases to Positive News: Resetting and Reframing News Consumption for a Better Life and a Better World

Research psychologists have found that people are subject to negative biases. These powerful biases may influence how journalists and editors produce the news and how citizens consume it. While not all news is negative, much of it is. Negatively biased news is both inaccurate and detrimental for well-being. This paper reviews literature about negative biases and the detrimental effects of negative news on well-being. Positive psychology interventions, taught in a workshop, may be able to mitigate or neutralize negative news effects. This paper presents a half-day workshop meant to combat negative biases in the news by training attendees in relevant positive psychology strategies. While the workshop is informed by research, testing will determine the extent to which it mitigates and combats the negative effects of bad news.