As all of us head into a challenging year, WFAE is starting a new initiative in hopes of lightening our collective load. WFAE’s Tommy Tomlinson, in his "On My Mind" commentary, provides the details.
We’re starting a new project here at WFAE, and this morning I’d like to tell you about it — and ask for your help.
We’re launching a series of stories this year called "Finding Joy." The idea is to tell some stories that might make you laugh, give you hope, warm your heart a little, or just open your eyes to some of the fascinating people and places in and around Charlotte.
We’re doing this because we realize 2024 will be a difficult year to be immersed in the news. This year’s presidential election could open the divides in our country even wider. More than most years, it feels like our future is at stake. There are conflicts all over the globe that resonate here at home. And then there are the everyday issues that all of us struggle to process.
We won’t stop reporting challenging stories.Giving you the news — even when it’s hard to hear — is part of our duty as journalists, and we take it seriously. But we know that it can be a lot to take. It’s hard for us sometimes, too. And we understand if sometimes you want to just tune out the news.
So we thought we’d mix in some stories that aren’t quite so heavy.
We’ll be airing them regularly all year long, and archiving them on our website at wfae.org/findingjoy. You can also go to that page and find a form to submit story ideas of your own. We need your help!
Our intention with "Finding Joy" is not to dismiss all the troubles in the world. It’s just to show that there are other things in the world besides trouble. The good times and bad times exist at the same time, and it doesn’t make sense to dwell on one at the expense of the other.
We look forward to reporting and airing these stories as much as we hope you look forward to hearing and seeing them. Let’s walk through this difficult year together. And maybe find some joy along the way.
Tommy Tomlinson’s On My Mind column runs Mondays on WFAE and WFAE.org. It represents his opinion, not the opinion of WFAE. You can respond to this column in the comments section below. You can also email Tommy at ttomlinson@wfae.org.
