sharing good - the contagious effect of positivity_barakabits_dec 2013

Sharing Good: The Contagious Effect of Positivity

Nawara ChakakiEditor-in-Chiefwww.BarakaBits.com@BarakaBits

Monday, December 2, 2013

http://www.BarakaBits.com

http://www.BarakaBits.com

www.BarakaBits.com

Bad news is bad for our health


The truth is. Bad news is bad for ALL of us. We all know this but we still consume it. A study done on undergraduate students found that anxiety and total mood disturbance levels increased after they were shown a 15 minute random newscast and that it wasn’t enough to use distraction to have students return to their pre-news emotional state. In fact, only the group that received a 15 minute progressive relaxation exercise were able to do so.

http://www.barakabits.com


“is there a way to be informed in a meaningful, deeper sense while not immersing ourselves in the constant barrage of bad news?”

www.BarakaBits.comMonday, December 2, 2013

I took this question from a blog post I read recently on “How the News Impacts Your Health” where the author concluded by asking...And my answer to him is absolutely!




The internet today gives us the opportunity to present alternative news sources. Traditional news media is being challenged by a wave of new news sites like Upworthy, Odewire and Good that allow you to create, read and share the kinds of stories that inspire and empower you to take action. So how are they fairing in comparison? Well, Upworthy is ranked number 37 most viewed site in the US and reaches over 42million people a month. Not bad for a website that was just launched a year and half ago!



How is this relevant to the MENA region?


So how is this all relevant to the MENA region...




Take a look at what our narrative looks like today...stories and images that if we were to describe in words would be this...



Demoralizing

Poor Digital Design

External Narrative

Reactive

Negative

Ironic

Angry

Pessimistic

Fragmented

GloomyFear

Polluted

Reactive

Repetitive

Agenda Driven

MENA news coverage today


An agenda driven external narrative that is reactive and demoralizing presented through poor digital design leaving us hopeless and defeated.



Imagine a news media platform that presents a visually engaging, intellectually stimulating, simple and uplifting narrative on the region, the people, the culture, the environment and religions.


Imagine a news media platform that presents a visually engaging, intellectually stimulating, simple and uplifting narrative on the region, the people, the culture, the environment and religions. Turning what our coverage looks like today to this...



A different perspective

Intelligent

Positive

Local Narrative

Fruitful

Sustainable

Spirited

Hopeful

Collaborative

Inspirational

Happy

Healthy

Traditional

Uplifting

Relevant

Good


A positive local narrative that is intelligent and sustainable uplifting us with hope and inspiring us to make a difference. But how?




Let’s take the coverage of the youth in Gaza as an example.



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Traditional media


Here they are presented in traditional media. They are angry, screaming, crying and defeated. We’ve become desensitized to these images and they know that now. Ask a journalist who’s recently covered stories in Gaza they will tell you of a growing frustration and anger towards the media and how difficult it’s become for them to gain the trust of the Gaza locals.



The alternative narrative


Instead, why not share the stories of the same children, young men, and women with images of them...




Parkouring, surfing Gaza’s waves, working in centers that offer training and jobs to youth with disabilities and joining soccer teams that are supported by local nonprofit initiatives....




and how they all like Khalil, the first double amputee diver, overcome the daunting daily challenges they face simply because they live in Gaza. It’s true that Khalil’s relentless drive to succeed is what mainly lead him to his accomplishments but who would have known of his bravery that could inspire many more children to take on their challenges if there wasn’t news source to share his story. Khalil was one of the reasons that inspired my sister Rama to start her good news blog.




Today BarakaBits has grown to be the number one online news source for Good News from the Middle East. We share with you the kind of news that lifts you up, gives you hope and offers you an opportunity to take action and for that reason people are choosing to read and share our stories more and more each day.




Our content is under the creative commons license that allows people to share our work with the exception of commercial use as long as the content is not altered and is attributed back to BarakaBits.



GOODNEWS

Social Media Activists

Translators

Photos

Video

Infographics

Writers

Media Partners

Content

Collaborators


Our aim is to change the narrative in the media to a positive one. We believe we can and so do our investors, contributors, readers and most importantly the people who’s stories we share believe we can. To achieve our goal we must reach global audiences. To help us do so, become our social media advocates, help us communicate in different languages, tell stories using videos, photos and infographics so that we can appeal to a broader audience.I want to leave you with images from our region of stories we’ve featured on BarakaBits...




Education for all in the UAE




Street festival in Palestine




Sailing Team competing globally in Oman




Educators start an online support group for teachers in Lebanon




Wadjda, first feature-length film made by a female director and shot entirely in Saudi Arabia.




Women cycling campaign against harassment




Kindergartens in Syrian refugee camps in Jordan




A shelter for abused dogs and cats in Qatar




Celebrating a legendary river in Iraq




Planting a green wall in Kuwait




Rainbow stairs call for peace and equal rights in Syria



sharing good - the contagious effect of positivity_barakabits_dec 2013

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