NEWSPAPER REPORTS 'ACTS OF KINDNESS'

By: Kathryn Wade Popular Section Plays In Peoria


Before Linda and Randee realized what was happening, the $100 in
cash they had just withdrawn from the bank had somehow flown out
of their car window, along with their bank card. As they
frantically searched the roadside for the money, a car pulled up
with $60 of their missing cash. Linda said, "I did thank them but
feel they should be more publicly recognized for their kindness
and honesty. ... I hope they realize how truly appreciated their
act of kindness was to us."

This story is only one of the many acts of kindness that readers
have sent to the Peoria Journal Star in Illinois. Seven
years ago, the paper introduced a "Random Acts of Kindness"
section after Jerry McDowell, metro city editor, read a book on
the subject and "realized that people could get the impression
that the world is a scary place" due to the abundance of stories
on problems throughout the world. In an effort to combat the
negativity, he decided to make room for good news and run the
section a few times a week.

After the paper was flooded with stories describing the simple,
yet significant, acts of kindness that strangers had done for
them, the section appeared daily. A local hospital decided to
sponsor the section.

Receiving between 40 and 50 letters via e-mail and snail mail per
week, the section remains immensely popular and as far as
McDowell knows is unique to his paper. "There are other kinds of
feature things like 'Hero of the Week,' but I haven't seen [this
type of section] in any other paper," he said.



Copyright 2001, Editor & Publisher.