It can be tough to stay positive sometimes. The news is full of depressing stories, and it seems like every day there's something new to worry about.
Plus, now that podcasting has exploded in popularity in recent years, we get to fill our ears with more bad news via our favorite daily news podcasts. Yay! (#sarcasm)
But don't worry, we've got some good news! Thoughtful, talented podcasters have worked to create the antithesis to the doom and gloom of the news — by highlighting positive things happening in the world.
We listened to dozens and dozens of episodes and compiled the best good news podcasts for you to subscribe to.
(This article includes Good Good Good partners, which means they may have paid a fee to be featured. All partners have been vetted and are podcasts we honestly recommend.)
These shows will remind you that there is still good in the world, and that we can make a difference if we work together.
So sit back, relax, and let these amazing podcasts inspire you to make a difference!
The Best Positive News Podcasts
The Good News Podcast
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Website
The team at Cards Against Humanity made headlines when they announced that they’d be pivoting from just making best-selling card games to also making a good news podcast: The Good News Podcast.
(The company loves to do unconventional things with their stockpiles of cash, like buying land to stop Trump from building his border wall, raising $70,000 for the Wikimedia Foundation, or buying an island in Maine, making it publicly accessible, and naming it Hawaii 2 — to ensure rich people couldn’t build a house on it.)
The Good News Podcast is less wild and random than its parent company — and simply drops three episodes per week, at roughly 3 minutes long, each featuring one piece of good news.
Goodniks
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Website
The trailer for Goodniks begins with an incredibly relatable statement: “We all want to do good in the world. Nearly all of us, at one time or another, imagined ourselves doing something noble or heroic. But most of us get derailed by life, by our careers, by our families.”
The podcast is an audio project exploring the meaning and journey of doing good in the world, interviewing 10 people (in 20-minute episodes) about how they ended up making a difference, in unique and compelling ways.
Whether you think of yourself as someone who does good — or you simply want to explore what it could mean for you to make a difference with the rest of your life, or simply for a season — this podcast is for you.
Sounds Good
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Website
Since 2017, the team at Good Good Good has hosted hopeful conversations with optimists and world-changers about the great headlines we can be hopeful about — and, of course, how you can get involved and make a difference.
Each episode, featuring an activist, nonprofit founder, influencer, or creator, is centered around what it means to use your time and energy to make a meaningful impact, in a way that’s unique to you.
Episodes are evergreen, and the archives are full of inspiring stories to leave you feeling hopeful.
Squirrel News
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Website
We mentioned Squirrel News as one of our favorite good news apps and we’d be remiss not to include their fantastic podcast in our podcasts roundup.
In the intro to the show, the hosts joke that it’s “the first and only show where a Jew in Los Angeles and a German in Berlin come together to solve the world’s problems.”
Each episode of their podcast elevates one story of a person or organization working to create a solution to a problem in the world — and the hosts and their guests discuss it through the lens of constructive solutions journalism.
Editor's note: A few months after publishing this article, Squirrel News invited our founder, Branden Harvey, to be a guest on their show to talk about the difference between 'real good' news and 'feel good' news and the founding of the Goodnewspaper. You can listen to the episode now.
The Joy Report
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Website
If you care about the environment (and if you’re on our site, you probably do), it can be really easy to experience a sense of climate doom any time you read the news.
But the reality is, there truly is a lot of positive climate change news — you just have to know where to look. And once we’ve consumed a bit of climate optimism, it can help reignite our ability to take action and be a part of the solution.
The Joy Report is a podcast dedicated to sharing stories about climate solutions and environmental justice grounded in optimism through the lens of intersectional environmentalism.
“Movements fueled by joy are so much more sustainable than those that are propelled by fear, dread, and doom,” says host Arielle King. “And that’s why we’ve created The Joy Report, a fact-based and awareness-driven podcast aimed at keeping you informed on the stories you should know in the world of environmental and climate justice.”
That’s Cool News
This weekly podcast brings you positive news, but unlike other shows on this list, That’s Cool News is focused on one topic: STEM.
Host Adam Buckingham highlights major breakthroughs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math — and breaks down how these innovations are going to make the world a better place.
While the episode dives deep into tech, you don’t have to be “techy” to listen. Adam does a fantastic job making each episode accessible and interesting — and will leave you feeling optimistic.
The Optimist Daily Update
The Optimist Daily is another one of the top good news websites sharing positivity on the internet. Their delightful podcast features the top positive news of the day, every day.
The show’s co-hosts, Summers McKay and Kristy Janson, each bring their favorite good news stories to the episode, and then playfully discuss them.
Happy Headlines
Every single day, host David Beach releases an optimistic, two-minute episode, highlighting a happy headline you should know about.
Each episode ends with an encouragement to not only feel good, but to also do good: “Stay happy, stay healthy, and find a way… to make someone’s day.”
Good News Good Planet
This short, simple podcast delivers one new positive news story to your podcast feed each week.
Describing their show on their website, creators Mandy Stapleford and Gina Gargone say, “We deliver effective ‘short shots’ of apolitical, non-religious good news from around the world.”
The Daily Good
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Website
Each episode of The Daily Good begins with a warm welcome from the host, followed by an encouragement to settle into good news by taking a deep breath. He then calmly, yet positively, walks through the best positive news of the day.
Episodes also feature other segments which highlight inspirational quotes, delightful music, fascinating facts, and other positive ideas.
More Notable Mentions
We wanted to be able to include a few more positive news podcasts worth highlighting in this roundup:
- Have You Heard The Good News? — This conversational podcast between two friends dives into their lives and the good news stories that they find interesting.
- The Newsworthy — While this daily news podcast, is focused on all kinds of news — every Friday, host Erica Mandy shares good news as a part of her “Feel Good Friday.”
- The Positive Truth — There’s no shortage of positive news on this podcast and it is a great fit for those who don’t mind the lower audio quality (which will surely improve over time!).
- Squabbit — This podcast doesn’t come out as consistently as it once did, but it’s still filled with positive news!
- The Happy Broadcast — This weekly show is one of our favorite happy news podcasts. It hasn’t aired a new episode since 2021, but its archives are filled with a whole lot of anxiety-free news.
Do you have a favorite good news podcast we missed? As always, reach out to let us know! We love hearing from you.
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