Positive Media Day: Why the Stories We Choose Matter
By Lucy Luc
Spend five minutes scrolling through your phone and you’ll likely encounter a familiar mix of headlines: conflict, crisis, controversy, and uncertainty. Negative news often dominates our attention because, psychologically, humans are wired to notice threats and risks.
Yet researchers are increasingly asking a different question. What happens when media also highlights generosity, resilience, problem solving, and human connection?
Positive Media Day, observed on June 22, offers a timely opportunity to explore how constructive storytelling influences audiences and what communicators can learn from it.
The Rise of Positive Media Psychology
For decades, media research focused heavily on the harmful effects of media consumption. Scholars examined the impact of violent content, stereotyping, fear-based messaging, and sensationalized news coverage.
More recently, researchers have begun exploring media’s ability to create positive outcomes.
This area of study, known as Positive Media Psychology, emerged from positive psychology, a field pioneered by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Their work shifted attention toward understanding the factors that help individuals and communities thrive, including optimism, resilience, wellbeing, empathy, and social connection.
Media psychologist Pamela Rutledge describes positive media psychology as an effort to understand “how people benefit” and “how we can make it better.” Rather than focusing exclusively on media’s risks, researchers are examining its potential to strengthen communities, support wellbeing, and encourage positive social behaviour.
This perspective feels particularly relevant today as communicators navigate an increasingly crowded and often polarized information environment.
Why Certain Stories Stay With Us
Think about the last film, documentary, or news story that genuinely moved you.
Perhaps it featured a community rallying around a family in need. A young person overcoming barriers. A volunteer dedicating years to a local cause.
Chances are the story stayed with you long after it ended.
Researchers call this emotional response “elevation.”
In a landmark study, media scholar Mary Beth Oliver found that meaningful films frequently generated feelings of elevation when audiences witnessed acts of kindness, sacrifice, gratitude, loyalty, or moral courage. Participants reported feeling inspired, emotionally moved, and motivated to become better people themselves.
As Oliver and her colleagues observed, meaningful media experiences were associated with a stronger desire to “be a better person” and to do good for others.
That finding is significant for communicators because it demonstrates that stories can shape behaviour, not just awareness.
A powerful story can encourage people to volunteer, donate, support a cause, participate in their community, or simply approach others with greater empathy.
From Fear to Possibility
One of the most well-known concepts in media research is “mean world syndrome,” which suggests that heavy exposure to negative news can lead audiences to perceive the world as more dangerous than it actually is.
Emerging research suggests an alternative outcome is also possible.
A study led by researcher Karl Aquino found that people who were exposed to stories demonstrating extraordinary kindness became more likely to believe that generosity and goodness exist in the world. The stronger the feeling of elevation, the stronger their perception that people are generally caring and compassionate.
That shift in perspective matters.
People who believe positive change is possible are often more willing to engage with their communities, collaborate with others, and contribute to solutions. Stories do not simply describe reality. They help audiences interpret it.
For communicators, this serves as an important reminder that every narrative leaves an impression beyond the immediate message.
Positive Media in a Canadian Context
Across Canada, there is growing appetite for stories that move beyond identifying problems and begin exploring responses.
We see this in coverage of Indigenous leadership initiatives, community organizations supporting newcomers, local sustainability projects, youth advocacy efforts, and social enterprises tackling complex challenges.
These stories resonate because they provide something audiences increasingly seek: evidence that progress is possible.
Constructive stories do not avoid difficult realities. Instead, they expand the conversation by showing how people, organizations, and communities are responding.
In a communications landscape where trust remains fragile, this approach can create a stronger sense of credibility and engagement.
Audiences want honesty. They also want context, perspective, and a reason to stay engaged.
What This Means for Communicators
Positive media should not be confused with positive spin.
Audiences are remarkably skilled at identifying content that feels overly polished, performative, or disconnected from reality. Constructive storytelling works because it acknowledges challenges while exploring solutions, lessons learned, and human experiences.
For communications professionals, this presents several practical considerations.
When developing stories, ask whether the narrative highlights meaningful impact rather than simply activity. Look for opportunities to elevate voices that demonstrate resilience, leadership, collaboration, or innovation. Consider whether audiences will leave with a deeper understanding of both the challenge and the path forward.
Most importantly, focus on people.
Research consistently shows that stories grounded in authentic human experiences create stronger emotional engagement than statistics or organizational messaging alone.
The stories audiences remember are rarely the ones filled with corporate language. They are the stories that help people see themselves, their communities, and their shared humanity.
Looking Ahead
Positive Media Day is ultimately a reminder that storytelling carries influence.
Every article, campaign, social media post, and media interview contributes to how audiences understand the world around them. While communicators cannot control every headline, they can influence how stories are framed, whose voices are included, and what possibilities audiences are invited to consider.
The strongest stories do not simply capture attention.
They build understanding.
They create connection.
And occasionally, they leave people feeling inspired to make a difference themselves.
In an era where attention is increasingly difficult to earn and trust is increasingly difficult to maintain, those outcomes may be more valuable than ever.
Lucy Luc is the current president of the Student Steering Committee and a CPRS Toronto ACE Award–winning student in her final year of Humber Polytechnic’s Bachelor of Public Relations program, where she is completing her thesis.