Good news, bad news

Since yesterday’s blog was rather depressing I will try to be more cheerful and optimistic today. Newspapers are often criticised for only publishing bad news. The good things that people do are not newsworthy. Readers are assumed only to want to know the bad news. Far be it from me to tell the newspaper editors what to publish. The fact that I am bored with the failed US plane bomb-plot is neither here nor there. I am astonished that there were pictures of the would-be-bomber’s underpants in the papers today. Words fail me!

To get away from such nonsense, I turned, with some relief, to an article about a child prodigy artists, Kieron Williamson. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/29/boy-paints-like-old-master# The story is uplifting, cheerful and inspiring as it even gives some advice to would-be artists. Kieron’s parents seem to be sensible, not pushy and are to be praised for not spoiling their son’s chances of a normal life. Although I know next to nothing about Art, Kieron’s pictures are appealing to the eye and I can see why there is a waiting list to buy any future works he produces.

Of course, such articles as this are not to be found on the front page, nor even in the main section of the paper. Instead we get the doom and gloom and despair that forms the bulk of the ‘news’. Why can’t we hear about brave people who have battled through difficulties and come out smiling? Why can’t we hear of good people who gave up their time this Christmas for the sake of others? Why can’t we be told about the loyalty and faithfulness of those who just got on with their jobs?

On the last point I am moved to congratulate those who have been working throughout the Christmas period to try to restore normal Gas service to the people hereabouts. I understand that there are still some homes without Gas, even after more than a week has gone by since the problem, caused by a burst water-main, started. What impressed me was the sheer number of Gas company vans which were parked in and around the area. Those workers did not get to spend much of Christmas with their families. Cynics would tell me they were on ‘double-time’ but that doesn’t alter the fact that up and down the country people have been working hard to keep the infrastructure ticking over. Police, fire, ambulance, essential services, social services, nurses, doctors, the list is endless. And even newspaper editors, yes, I’ll give a word of thanks to them, too, especially since I received a copy of my daily paper yesterday, on a Bank Holiday.