Our story

Welcome to a new newspaper for a new bad news era.

The Good News Post was created in 2016 by Good News PR for a new era of anxiety, gloom and relentless rolling bad news.

With 24.7 bad news bombarding our brains with negativity and our brains taking it in with little or no balancing out, it’s little wonder so many of us are struggling.

Charities such as In Charley’s Memory, led by our Editor Dawn are overwhelming with rocketing numbers of desperate people in need for mind help.

THE PLANET IS SAFER THAN IN HISTORY 

So, what has happened? The planet is the same as ever before, a mix of good and bad. In fact, studies have shown we are living in the safest times in history. But fear and negativity are hammering home into brains on an unprecedented scale. Of course, bad news happens, but our society has lost perspective – at a massive cost.

Our brains believe what it takes in – bad news stories, images, videos on our smart phones in glorious 4D technicolour are seen as real and our bodies are put into ‘fight or flight’ panic mode. Over time this can lead to angst and even depression. It is little wonder we are on overload.

A MISSION FOR GOOD NEWS IN AN AGE OF BAD

Good News PR has since 2003 been on a mission to find as much good news as it can and unearth it out of organisations and into the Media.

In 2007, that mission took it to Priory Community School Academy, that became The Priory Learning Trust, (TPLT) in Somerset to train up young people to find their own good news. Priory TV was born with Jack Evison and his team filming their stories onto Youtube. 

Good News PR and Priory TV linked with Sir Richard Branson in 2011 and the inspirational tycoon turned round a video message in 24 hours from New York to encourage students to ‘believe for the impossible’. He further motivated students to ‘go for their dreams’ and ‘believe for the impossible’. They did.

Priory became hugely popular and heavily oversubscribed, with constant stories in Jill Dando’s former newspaper the Weston Mercury, as well in other Media including BBC TV, ITV and more. Due to its success it founded the new The Priory Learning Trust in 2016.

THE GOOD NEWS POST IS BORN 

Also in 2016, Good News PR created the Good News Post after encouragement from Priory students including Alex Crowther who was inspirational in raising money for charity and with his Weston Eagles charity in putting good news into the hands of the Media.

The Good News Post was to be a new refreshing unique mix of Good News and Happiness.

Soon after, a run of very bad news hit Worle Community School Academy, less than a mile away from Priory. Good News PR linked with TPLT to do a similar unearthing of student good news into the Media. It worked brilliantly. But crucially, the unearthing of good news stories into the Media by students was given the name Jill Dando News.

JILL DANDO NEWS IS CREATED

Jill Dando was a former student who started writing news stories aged 13 at the school for its magazine Merlin. She rose to become the golden girl of Britain – kind, positive, humble and a brilliant TV journalist.

Good News PR linked with students, TPLT and the older brother of former student Jill Dando, Nigel Dando, to create Jill Dando News. Now Jill Dando News Centres are across TPLT and other schools in Somerset. 

JILL DANDO NEWS EXPANDS

In 2018, a Jill Dando News Centre was launched at Priory, with special guest speaker Lord Jeffrey Archer, Nigel Dando, the Ascot Group and UK Business Leader magazine.

It was followed by one at The King Alfred School Academy in Highbridge, 20 minutes drive away.

Nigel Dando was guest of honour and delivered the first ever Annual Jill Dando News lecture.

Dawson, then 12, became the first reporter and went on to interview Prime Minister Boris Johnson twice.

The first primary school to be set up was St Anne’s Church Academy, and student Elijah, 9, also went on to interview the Prime Minister Boris Johnson twice.

JILL DANDO NEWS GOES TO AFRICA

In 2018, Priory English teacher Sarah O’ Gorman visited Malawi to set up Jill Dando News in Africa. Lockdown put a hold on some of it, but it is now building a library where the news reporters will be based.

BUSINESS LEADER MAGAZINE

Good News PR and the Good News Post joined with Business Leader magazine which is based a 10 minute walk from Jill Dando’s former home and school in Worle, Somerset. It became Britain’s biggest magazine for entrepreneurs and helped to inspire students, train them, and then to do joint interviews with CEOs, millionaires and billionaires.

BELIEVE ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

Jill Dando Journalists are trained to be believe that all things are possible and they have shown that to be the case time and time again..

Jill Dando News has since expanded across Somerset and even to Africa, receiving video plaudits from Sir Richard Branson, Fiona Bruce, Sir Cliff Richard, Alan Titchmarsh, two Prime Ministers and many more. Reporters as young as 9 even interviewed the PM Boris Johnson inside Downing Street in 2019.

KIND, POSITIVE, HUMBLE, BRILLIANT AND ASPIRATIONAL

The ‘Jill Dando Journalists’ are not only kind, positive, humble and brilliant, but also know no limits – believing as Sir Richard urged them and what Jill lived herself – that all things really are possible. They are hope, aspiration and a determination to never give up.

Jill Dando Journalists are the reporters aged 8 to 18 who provide lots of stories for the Good News Post – and oh how we need them more than ever.

Good News PR alongside professional editors, journalists and media people have trained up hundreds of young people since 2017, with an expanding number of graduates now coming through after years of experience.

First Jill Dando News graduate Alex Crowther, ex Priory, now 23, is one of Britain’s youngest football club board members and obtained a First Class Degree in Broadcast Journalism. Olivia Finch, now 18, was the first graduate out of 

OUR BRAINS ARE TAKING A HIT

Every time we read, see or hear about something bad that has happened, it takes a ‘hit’ on our systems. Our brains were not designed to take on bad news over and over again. Our brains were wired to thrive on positivity.

THERE IS MORE GOOD NEWS THAN BAD

For the first time in history, brains are battered by bad stuff from a very early age.  Most children have phones and gadgets where they will share the news – the overwhelming amount of it negative. People can leave their phones believing the world is full of anger, hatred, evil – but there is more good news than bad.

WHY GOOD NEWS IS GOOD

Good News stories are brilliant for children, their parents, teachers, headteachers, the community and the world. We believe there is a good news story in everyone. 

SEE IT, WRITE IT, POST IT – JOIN THE MISSION

We believe the world will be a better place if everyone started sharing more good news. Think – they’re friends, social media, newsrooms. Join the mission. See it, Write it, Post it.