Good news pierces gloomy headlines

Sometimes I wonder if the job of the media, no matter which channels you select, is to keep Americans wringing their hands. It doesn’t really matter if you watch cable channels such as Fox News or MSNBC or network channels. There is always something to worry about: the economy, the war in Ukraine, violence, food recalls, just to name a few.

Just for starters, let’s think about the economy. For months, media headlines had us on the brink of a recession. First it was, “Buckle up, we are headed for a recession!” Or this: “Is a recession looming in 2023?” Some publications had tips on how to get through a recession. Lots of anticipatory handwringing.

And as gas prices were headed upwards, news programs would feature the average price of gas in New Mexico or across the country almost daily. More hand wringing.

There was constant speculation about what the Federal Reserve would do about interest rates. For most of us, we aren’t certain why we should worry about that, but it felt as though we should. So we did.

In the midst of all that worry and handwringing, some good news surfaces, but not much gets said. Here’s a sample of some of it.

A recent Harris Poll, one of the consistently reliable conservative polls in the country, recently announced: America is upbeat. This is the news from everyday Americans.

Most Americans are satisfied with their personal economic situations even as they grapple with the recent effects of inflation. (Inflation was at 3.1% on Jan. 11. This is down from 3.4% in December 2023)

The Harris poll also showed that 63% of Americans describe their financial situation as being “good,” with 19% classifying it as “very good.”

Maybe more important is the optimistic outlook of Americans; 66% of Americans think 2024 will be better than 2023. And 85% think they could change their financial situation for the better.

One of the most interesting pieces of data from the Harris poll was that 77% of Americans are happy with where they are living, including renters.

I find this especially surprising when the media spend a lot of time talking about people not being able to buy homes. People can’t buy homes! (More handwringing) The poll shows that a majority of renters, 63%, are not interested in buying a home and taking on a mortgage.

And for those who are in the rental market, rents, like inflation, are trending downward. This is also true in some areas of New Mexico.

Homeowners are happy too. Most mortgages are still hovering around 4% or lower while homes increase in value.

When it comes to job security, 63% describe their job security as a sure thing. And unemployment is low, 3.7%, while the number of job openings is high.

There are other good economic indicators that were not in the poll.

The economy grew 3.3% in the most recent reports and consumer confidence is up.

In 2023 workers overall received nominal overall wage gains of .08% in 2023. But inside those numbers White House economic data show that production and non-supervisory workers received 1.1% wage increases. That’s the middle class.

Gas prices continue to fall, even though we know they fluctuate, and in New Mexico the average price is below $3 a gallon. Nationwide it’s $3.10 a gallon.

What do all these numbers matter? Because these are what impact everyday Americans. Lower prices, better wages, feeling good about where we live.

Don’t you wish the media would spend more time on the good news? I do. But meanwhile, let’s stop wringing our hands or change the channel.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Good news pierces gloomy headlines