Good News Network Celebrates 29 Years of Positivity Online

Before social media feeds filled with doom and gloom, one journalist believed the world needed something different.

On August 31, 1997, Geri Weis-Corbley launched the Good News Network from her home computer, teaching herself to code and build what would become the internet's first dedicated positive news source. The former CNN freelancer had spent years covering traditional news, but saw an opportunity when the internet emerged to create something entirely new.

Weis-Corbley built the entire website herself, learning HTML from scratch while raising three young children. That homegrown approach became the foundation for what is now the most popular source for inspiring news online, reaching millions of readers who want to stay informed without the negativity.

The family business model stuck. Her middle child, photographed holding a black and white cat shortly after the site launched, now works as staff editor. The youngest children, then in elementary school, are now adults in their 30s who have both contributed to the mission their mother started at the kitchen table.

The timing proved prescient. As traditional media increasingly focused on conflict and crisis, readers discovered they were hungry for stories about human progress, scientific breakthroughs, and everyday kindness. Thousands of people now support the site as paying members, contributing $2 or more to keep positive journalism flowing.

The Ripple Effect

The Good News Network's success sparked an entire movement. Dozens of positive news outlets have launched in the decades since, proving that good news isn't just nice to have but essential for maintaining hope and motivation. Research now shows that consuming positive news improves mental health, increases civic engagement, and helps people see solutions instead of just problems.

Weis-Corbley still works on Mac computers, just like she did 29 years ago, curating stories that remind us the world is getting better in countless measurable ways. Her original vision that people would actively seek out uplifting news has been validated millions of times over by readers who start their mornings with hope instead of despair.

The anniversary marks nearly three decades of proving that journalism can inform without depleting, and that good news is real news worth celebrating.