I have a love/hate relationship with the media. As a PR and Marketing professional, I have worked side by side with reporters, editors and producers for 13 years to help inform the masses about the latest gadget, new clothing line or new business venture that my clients have come up with. I loved the fact that 95% of the media types I once worked with were open to all kinds of story ideas and truly understood the power of a good “fluff” piece.

However, since the beginning of the 2008 election and the decline of the economy, I’ve noticed an alarming trend with the media… a relentless hunger for negativity! Long gone are the days of finding a plethora of news story on someone who’s done a good deed, has helped a fellow citizen or is prospering in a time of need.

Instead we find ourselves being inundated with headlines, images and lead stories on pet kittens being fed to pythons, natural disasters, dying soldiers, rogue flu viruses, celebrities behaving badly, kidnapped children and the never ending story about terrorists wanting to blow up anything and everything that is affiliated with the U.S..

I don’t know about you, but I want to be informed about what is going on in the world… not scared to death after watching the 6 o’clock news! Clearly there is a need for journalistic integrity! I get that. And I also get the fact that editors and news directors walk a fine line between trying to inform people and bringing in ad dollars.

At the same time, I know I speak for a number of Americans when I say “stop the madness!” We know our relations with the Middle East are strained! We know that there are people out there that do terrible things to the innocent, the old and the young! We look to you, dear media, to inform us on topics that we don’t know about, but will help us become more educated and make good decisions. In a world of constant negativity, we look to you to help us find that warm fuzzy with our morning coffee or a sigh of relief around our dinner tables.

Until then, I’ll be saying wa wa wa after skimming the headlines… hoping that a new frontier of POSITIVE media will soon be upon us!