Good News Doesn't Sell??

You've probably already seen or read the story of Jason. He's a star. He did the unbelievable. And if watching what he did doesn't make you cry, well, there's something seriously wrong. HE, of course, is Jason McElwain, a 17-year-old autistic boy in Rochester. A kid who was happy as the manager and unofficial cheerleader for his high school basketball team. That and nothing more. Until late in one game when his team already had a double-digit lead over its opponent. That's when Jason's coach sent him in. In the next few minutes, Jason touched the world and changed forever the perception of autism. After a couple of errant shots, Jason caught fire, scoring six consecutive three-pointers and a two-pointer, all in the last four minutes. 20 points total. From a 5-foot-6-inch tall kid who couldn't even talk until he was five. That's part of the story.

The other part is how the crowd reacted. Fans, mostly teenagers, from BOTH sides rushed to lift Jason on their shoulders and wildly cheer his victory. His moment was their moment, even those on the losing side. They are still asking Jason for his autograph (to go along with the reported movie offers). Keep that in mind when someone talks about the teens today and their misplaced priorities.

Oh, and there's another part. It's a lesson to all those who say the media doesn't care about good news. Ask anyone in the media whether Jason's story was not one they wanted to carry. After all, no one was killed, assaulted, even insulted. It brought out the tears, all right, but not tears of sorrow or despair. Tears of real joy. Even the President (who took the opportunity to meet Jason and his family) said he cried. Yes, good news DOES sell. More often than not, we blame the media for not caring about good news when the reality is -- it's not really news. Just because you care about it or your company cares about it doesn't mean the public at large does. You need to be your toughest critic before you ever call the news media. Would your neighbors care about your story? People all across the town? If it survives that "give a darn" test, you just might have a winner. Like Jason McElwain.