I'm a news junkie, that is, I'm a good news junkie. And I'm a fan of people who are good news. I have always loved that expression, and, gratefully, met many people who brought it to life.
To say someone is good news is perhaps the best thing you can say about a person, especially in an age in which individuals are turning into mini-media companies. We all have our headlines, op eds, recurring columns, gossip, and human interest stories that we carry with us from cocktail party to interview to board room, sharing them with whomever pays the subscription fee (the attention dividend).
Like in the real media markets, there are more or less popular outlets, and the person who is most popular is often, if not always, the one who is "good news."
But what does that mean -- "good news"? And why are some people "good news" and others aren't? Here are a few observations: "Good news people" are aggregators -- they have perfected the art of recycling the best stories out there and telling them as if they were their own. Good news people have a great willingness to syndicate and share their stories. Furthermore, good news people have real news to share, news that are changing every day -- like the New York Times, they are always the same and never the same. You know what you get and what you don't. Good news people are trusted, consistent, and reliable, but they're also unpredictable and whenever you meet them they have fresh points of view. That's because they're open minded and constantly looking for provocative new ideas and thoughts. They're simply good. They warrant for quality and improve your life whenever they touch it.
Don't get me wrong, good news people are not just wearing a bright sunny smile -- they are authentic, genuine, and interesting. As Stefan Sagmeister says: "Everybody who is honest is interesting." You like watching them and listening to them. You like to watch them listen. Radiohead is good news. Nic Harcourt is good news. Barack Obama is good news. My friend Julian is good news. My wife is good news. If you have a lot of good news people around you, your life will be a great reading, every day.
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