All topics

Editorial

14 stories tagged "Editorial".

The negativity we actually need
✍️
The negativity we actually need
Recently, a friend pointed out that my project might be doing more harm than good by filtering out negativity. I totally get his point, especially regarding climate change and othe…
Positron Today 11 Aug 2026
Enshittification, and what comes after it
✍️
Enshittification, and what comes after it
I've been online since the mid-90s, and it's wild how platforms can go downhill so quickly. There's a term for this now: enshittification, which describes how platforms start off g…
Positron Today 5 Aug 2026
Why your feed wants you angry
✍️
Why your feed wants you angry
Scrolling through social media can leave us feeling more agitated than when we started, and research shows this isn't just a personal experience. Algorithms on platforms like TikTo…
Positron Today 31 Jul 2026
How I use statistics and my law degree to fight human-rights abuses
🌟
How I use statistics and my law degree to fight human-rights abuses
Mary Gray is a remarkable figure who combines her expertise in statistics and law to tackle human-rights abuses and discrimination. Even in her 80s, she continues to make a signifi…
Nature 30 Jul 2026
Negativity isn't a bug, it's on the syllabus
✍️
Negativity isn't a bug, it's on the syllabus
It's fascinating to think about how negativity is woven into the fabric of journalism. Research shows that bad news is simply more newsworthy than good news, and this idea has been…
Positron Today 27 Jul 2026
If you want good news, read the science pages
📊
If you want good news, read the science pages
I've been digging through 91 days of data from 37 news sources, using a positivity score to see which stories actually feel hopeful - and the results surprised me. General news hov…
Positron Today 24 Jul 2026
25-year-old reporter buys his hometown newspaper to save it from corporate ownership
🌟
25-year-old reporter buys his hometown newspaper to save it from corporate ownership
In a heartwarming move, 25-year-old Evan Newton has purchased The Monticello News, his hometown newspaper, to keep it from corporate takeover. This marks a significant moment for l…
Good Good Good 18 Jul 2026
Why the weekend news feels heavier (it's not just you)
📊
Why the weekend news feels heavier (it's not just you)
I've been digging through 91 days of data from 37 news sources, and it turns out that feeling you get on Sunday - that the news is just heavier - is completely real. The weekday av…
Positron Today 17 Jul 2026
We measured how rare good news actually is. It's worse than you think...
✍️
We measured how rare good news actually is. It's worse than you think...
I recently discovered that sixty-two percent of the days in our data showed no clearly-positive articles from news outlets. This doesn't mean there was no good news at all, but rat…
Positron Today 13 Jul 2026
The positron manifesto: one page, one idea
✍️
The positron manifesto: one page, one idea
I've distilled the entire Positron idea into a single-page poster - think of it like the Holstee manifesto, but for good news. The core message is simple: the news isn't the world,…
Positron Today 10 Jul 2026
Five points for anger: how algorithms learned to sell us the worst of each other
✍️
Five points for anger: how algorithms learned to sell us the worst of each other
I've been reflecting on how algorithms amplify our negativity bias, especially on social media. Studies show that negative content spreads faster and gets more engagement, which is…
Positron Today 8 Jul 2026
Loss aversion and the news: why uncertainty makes us crave catastrophe
✍️
Loss aversion and the news: why uncertainty makes us crave catastrophe
It's fascinating how our brains are wired to focus on negative news, isn't it? Kahneman and Tversky's prospect theory reveals that losses feel much more significant than equivalent…
Positron Today 6 Jul 2026
Bad is stronger than good: the psychology that keeps us reading the worst
✍️
Bad is stronger than good: the psychology that keeps us reading the worst
It's fascinating how negativity bias affects us all, making bad experiences weigh heavier than good ones. A single negative comment can linger in our minds long after we've receive…
Positron Today 3 Jul 2026
The positron principle: why good news is real news you just never see
✍️
The positron principle: why good news is real news you just never see
I recently had a conversation with a friend who stopped reading the news because it made her feel terrible. This got me thinking about how the media often focuses on negativity, wh…
Positron Today 1 Jul 2026