In today’s unstable political climate and somewhat self-destructive society, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find positive news stories. Even those which do occasionally make it to mainstream news channels and media outlets often disappear within a few hours, dominated by the reports on violence, unrest and global distress. However, for the last few years British creative, Emily Coxhead, has been tackling this problem with her innovative platform of positivity: The Happy Newspaper.

Since launching in December 2015 with money raised from a Kickstarter campaign, Coxhead has produced quarterly 32-page issues of The Happy Newspaper which now reaches over 12,000 subscribers across the world. The paper exclusively reports on positive news stories which are all too often ignored or quickly forgotten in mainstream media, ultimately creating a product which promotes happiness and optimism.

The paper frequently reports on uplifting stories of kindness, charity, equality and selflessness to highlight the more cheerful and hopeful events, law-changes or acts which get overshadowed by the bleaker, more difficult stories. As well as reporting on the most relevant stories of each quarter, The Happy Newspaper also has regular columns like ‘Campaigns & Charities’ which showcase good causes in need of support, and ‘Showbiz’ which aims to illuminate the good intentions and actions of celebrities, in a world where they are often scrutinised and criticised by the media.There is also a quarterly theme which The Happy Newspaper adopts to focus the features and illustrations of each issue, such as community, loneliness and opportunity.

Another of the paper’s most popular projects is its regular ‘Everyday Heroes’ section. These pages are filled with nominations from readers which shout-out people and organisations who have done something positive and deserve a thank you. Readers can make nominations via The Happy Newspaper website, which has also recently launched an online shop with merchandise and products to continue to promote happiness.

As a talented illustrator, Coxhead is also dedicated to making The Happy Newspaper as colourful and uplifting to look at as it is to read. The paper is visually beautiful and reflects the positive messages of its content very well. Collaborating with other creatives also means the paper features a number of artistic styles, and there are many options for pages to be removed and used for crafts or as wall posters.

There is no doubt that Coxhead has succeeded to fill a gap in the media market that feels increasingly necessary in society. And, with subscription only £3.99 including delivery, this boost of positivity seems well worth the money in a society where some actively avoid mainstream news because of its sincerity. Perhaps with a platform like The Happy Newspaper to promote uplifting journalism, we will be more inclined to identify the good in society, and as a result be more able to process and work to improve on the bad.