Here is the full transcript and summary of Angus Hervey’s talk titled “Why Are We So Bad at Reporting Good News?” at TED conference.
In this talk, journalist Angus Hervey discusses the underreported good news related to climate change, global health, and environment. Despite progress in ending child marriage, strengthening reproductive rights, reducing poverty, and protecting wildlife, the media tends to focus on negative news stories, causing vital stories of progress to go unheard. Hervey argues that we need to shift towards action and hope by actively choosing to hope and take action towards progress instead of only focusing on negative news.
Listen to the audio version here:
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello and welcome to this special report where we take a look at the big events that have shaped our world in the last 12 months. I’m Angus Hervey, and this is the news. We begin our broadcast with a story that has dominated headlines this past year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war has inflicted a terrible human toll, plunging millions into an unrelenting conflict, dramatically upending international politics, and sparking turmoil in energy markets around the world.
Perhaps the only thing scarier than a war like this is the prospect of our planet being ruined by climate change. However, on that front, the news has been somewhat better. Specifically, as a result of this crisis, the global fight against climate change has accelerated. In response to Putin’s attempt to use gas and oil as weapons, Europe has doubled down on green energy.
Last year, for the first time ever, wind and solar overtook gas, nuclear, or coal as the continent’s largest source of electricity. And analysts say that as a result of the war, Europe’s timeline for ditching fossil fuels has accelerated by up to a decade. Staying with the climate, in the United States, a new law has committed hundreds of billions of dollars of investment into renewables and electric vehicles, putting the country on track to getting 80 percent of its electricity from carbon-free sources by the end of this decade.
And in the race to build more clean energy, China is way ahead of both Europe and the United States. The country is now installing enough solar panels every day to cover an area the size of New York’s Central Park. At the current rate, China will reach its climate targets years ahead of schedule. The energy revolution has arrived. Global fossil fuel emissions are now predicted to peak within less than two years, and the International Energy Agency says that wind, water, and sunshine will become the planet’s largest sources of electricity by 2025.
Global Health and Progress
To global health. Where many countries are still struggling in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, less widely reported is the news that last year, eight countries eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease. Top of that list, Togo, which became the first country to eliminate four of those diseases, including trachoma, the world’s most common infectious cause of blindness. Go, Togo. Today, almost 600 million fewer people require treatment for these diseases than in 2010.
It’s thanks to the work of tens of thousands of uncelebrated heroes of public health. It means that in just over a decade, a significant portion of humanity has been liberated from a devastating burden of suffering and from death. There’s also hope on the horizon in the fight against malaria. Last year, a new vaccine designed by the University of Oxford was shown to be safe and incredibly effective. Four days ago, Ghana became the first country to license that vaccine for distribution.
Nigeria followed that up eight hours ago. Both countries are now going to vaccinate children under the age of three. This is a world-changing treatment. It offers us genuine hope that we may finally be able to eradicate one of humanity’s biggest killers, a scourge that has plagued our species for thousands of years. Imagine if this was the news. That along with all of the usual death and disaster and division, we also got to hear these, the stories of hope and healing.
But not just another dog on a surfboard. The thing is, this is the news. These stories, they’re happening. It’s just that we don’t hear as much about them. But when you find them, the world can suddenly feel like a very different place. Let’s turn now to some environmental news where pollution and degradation continue to push Earth’s ecosystems past their breaking point.
Environmental Initiatives and Progress
However, in the last year, humanity has begun to respond. Four months ago, the countries of the United Nations came together to agree on a global pact to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030. And just weeks ago, after nearly two decades of negotiations, they agreed on the first-ever legal framework for regulation on and protection of life on the high seas. The tides are beginning to turn.
Here’s conference president Rena Lee announcing what Greenpeace has called the greatest conservation victory of all time. “The ship has reached the shore.” More good news for the environment. Since the beginning of last year, we’ve seen the expansion of protected waters around the Galapagos, the creation of an enormous marine sanctuary west of Australia, and a provisional agreement between Canada’s government and First Nations to create the Tang.ɢwan–ḥačxwiqak–Tsig̱is Marine Protected Area that will be Canada’s largest MPA.
That is just off the coast of West Vancouver. That’s less than 150 kilometers from where we all are right now. Last year, Argentina created a national park around one of its biggest saltwater lakes and wetlands. Earlier this year, Ecuador created one of the largest reserves in the Amazon, in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. And last month, the largest river restoration project in United States history kicked off on the Klamath River, led by the Yurok people of California.
None of it is enough yet. But these are big victories. They show us that destruction is not inevitable and that nature will recover if we can just give it the opportunity.
This report just in now from our political and social affairs editor. Last year saw some significant setbacks for human rights, most notably in the United States, where for many, it feels like intolerance and polarization are on the rise.
Human Rights Advances Globally
Globally, however, it’s a very different story. Since the beginning of 2022, countries have abolished the death penalty, six countries have ended child marriage, four countries have banned conversion therapy, four countries have legalized homosexuality, and 11 countries have actually strengthened reproductive rights. That includes India, which passed a law guaranteeing access to safe abortion for every single woman. And Spain, which also protected transgender rights and became the first country in Europe to provide paid menstrual leave.
Oh, and sorry, I forgot to mention, Slovenia, Cuba, and Mexico all passed legislation on same-sex marriage and adoption. Three times — three times as many countries now grant those rights to all of their citizens compared to a decade ago.
The fight for equality continues. But progress is happening even if we don’t hear much about it. In the last year, humanity has moved closer to a world where everyone is free to choose and free to love. On that note, let’s cross now to some more economic news.
Many will have missed last year’s report from the United Nations that India lifted 415 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2021. Despite some of that progress being set back by the pandemic, that still means that on average, every day for the last 16 years, a soccer stadium full of people escaped poverty, the worst kinds of deprivation. That is one of the greatest news stories of all time. Let’s cross now to our correspondent in the field, Angus Hervey, to get some more of these and some other stories from around the world.
Angus, over to you. Thank you very much, Angus. Well, I’m here in Brazil where the new Ministry of Indigenous People is bringing much needed food, hope, relief, and aid to the country’s indigenous communities. They’ve already deployed the military to remove tens of thousands of illegal miners and restore justice.
Zimbabwe. I’m here with the Akashinga, an all-female army of wildlife rangers there. These women, many of them survivors of domestic violence, have become formidable warriors after years in the field. Their military trainers say they’re more hardcore than a lot of the world’s special forces. And they’re really changing the face of conservation here and in the other four countries where they’re operating.
They have hundreds of their members out there now. They’re uplifting their communities, bringing down poaching rates dramatically, and contributing to a huge rebound in wild animal populations. And finally, in Bangladesh, where thousands of newly-trained midwives are bringing hope and healing to those who need it the most. Since 2012, they’ve helped bring down the child mortality rate here by almost 50 percent.
It is a powerful testament to the work of midwives everywhere and a reminder of just what can be achieved through education and a commitment to improving the lives of others. Angus, back to you now in the studio. Thanks very much, Angus. That was Angus Hervey there reporting on everything from everywhere all at once.
Science and Technological Breakthroughs
Let’s turn now to science and technology and what many say is not just the biggest news story of the year, but perhaps the most important technological breakthrough of our lifetimes. ChatGPT has taken the world by storm, becoming the quickest technology uptake in human history. The power of artificial intelligence is incredible, but there are also very real reasons to be concerned about its effect on systems of power and its impact on jobs and society.
As we wrestle with these dilemmas, though, let us not forget that in the last 12 months, humanity has repeatedly shown our resilience, inventiveness, our capacity for expanding our knowledge, and ability to rise to meet our greatest challenges. Nine months ago, we received the first images from the golden honeycombed 18 beryllium mirrors of the James Webb Telescope, unlocking new secrets from the furthest reaches of the cosmos.
Seven months ago, we smashed a spacecraft into an asteroid and altered its orbit, confirming a newfound ability to create planetary defense systems against earthbound objects. Four months ago, we used freaking laser beams to recreate the conditions inside of a star, achieving more energy out of a nuclear fusion reaction than we put in. It’s a milestone in our quest to provide clean, limitless, and affordable energy.
And then, just days later, scientists in London announced that they had used a new form of CRISPR called base-editing to hot-wire immune cells and clear the body of a 13-year-old girl named Alyssa from an incurable form of leukemia. It’s an incredible medical breakthrough. The first use of a revolutionary new type of treatment that may go on to save millions of lives in the future.
Reflecting on the Narrative of News
So why is it then that outside medical and scientific circles, almost nobody has heard that story? Why are we so familiar with all of the stories that make us feel scared or sad or angry, but so many of these stories come to us as a surprise? Why are we so good at reporting bad news but so bad at reporting good news? That question is something that I spend a lot of time thinking about. I’m the editor of the Future Crunch newsletter. We share stories of progress, and what I’ve learned after eight years of doing this work is that progress is never a straight line.
Far too many still suffer in poverty, from disease, and are trapped by conflict. The struggle for equality and the fight for justice continues in so many places in the world. We still have so much work to do to get done. We know that geopolitical tensions are rising. Climate change is genuinely scary, and we are still destroying too many parts of our planet. But when we only tell the stories of doom, we fail to see the stories of possibility.
The hundreds of examples of progress in human rights, rising living standards, public health victories, clean energy breakthroughs, technological magic, ecological restoration, and the countless extraordinary acts of kindness that take place on this planet every day. I believe that if we want to change the story of the human race in the 21st century, we have to start changing the stories that we tell ourselves. And we have to remember that hope isn’t a noun. It’s a verb.
It’s not something that we have or something that we’re given. It’s something that we do. Millions of people around the world chose to hope in the last 12 months and then rolled up their sleeves to get it done. Perhaps it’s time for the rest of us to do the same. I’m Angus Hervey, and let’s make this the news.
SUMMARY OF THIS TALK:
Global Progress and Challenges
Humanity’s Strides in Equality and Poverty Reduction: Hervey highlights significant progress in global equality and economic upliftment. India’s remarkable achievement of lifting 415 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2021, even amidst the pandemic setbacks, is a testament to this progress.
Environmental and Social Achievements
Environmental and Indigenous People’s Protection in Brazil: Brazil has initiated substantial efforts to support its indigenous communities, including military action to remove illegal miners and restore justice.
Empowerment Through Conservation in Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe’s all-female wildlife ranger army, Akashinga, demonstrates empowerment and effective conservation. These women, overcoming personal adversities, have successfully reduced poaching and aided wildlife population recovery.
Healthcare Advancements in Bangladesh: Bangladesh has seen a significant reduction in child mortality rates, thanks to the training and deployment of numerous midwives since 2012. This showcases the impact of healthcare education and commitment to public welfare.
Science and Technology Breakthroughs
Rapid Adoption of AI and ChatGPT: Hervey mentions the unprecedented uptake of ChatGPT, underscoring the incredible potential and challenges of artificial intelligence in reshaping power dynamics and societal structures.
Astronomical and Medical Innovations: Noteworthy scientific achievements include the James Webb Telescope’s deep-space insights, asteroid orbit alteration for planetary defense, breakthroughs in nuclear fusion for clean energy, and revolutionary CRISPR base-editing in treating leukemia, exemplifying humanity’s capacity for innovation.
Media’s Focus on Negative News
Predominance of Negative Reporting: The talk addresses the media’s tendency to spotlight stories that evoke fear, sadness, or anger, often overshadowing positive developments.
Need for Balanced Storytelling: Hervey stresses the importance of balancing the narrative by including stories of progress and positivity, which are equally newsworthy but less reported.
Call for a Narrative Shift
Importance of Hope and Action: The speaker emphasizes that hope is an active choice, encouraging a shift from despair to optimism and action. He advocates for acknowledging and participating in the ongoing efforts towards betterment.
Role of Media in Shaping Perceptions: Hervey concludes by challenging the media and individuals to change the prevalent stories, focusing more on human achievements, resilience, and kindness, to inspire a more hopeful and proactive approach to global challenges.
Hervey’s talk serves as a call to action, urging a shift in media focus and public perception towards the numerous positive developments and advancements occurring worldwide, often overshadowed by negative news.