The flagship What Went Right series is expanding to YouTube, Spotify and other podcast platforms, bringing its popular weekly roundup of progress and solutions to new audiences
The award-winning podcast team at Positive News is bringing one of the publication’s best-loved written series to audio and video, as it expands its constructive journalism approach to a wider audience. What Went Right – a roundup of the good news that matters most, which has become a firm favourite with readers across Positive News’ website, newsletter, social media and print magazine – is now launching as a weekly video podcast.
Released every Saturday, the new programme explores three of the week’s most significant stories of progress, from scientific breakthroughs and climate solutions to community initiatives and social change. Each episode goes beyond the headlines to examine what’s happening, who’s driving it and whether the solutions being developed could work elsewhere.
The launch builds on the success of What Went Right as a written series. It is consistently among the most-read articles on the Positive News website, while some of its Instagram posts have attracted millions of views. The series is also a popular fixture in the publication’s weekly newsletter and exists as a dedicated section in Positive News magazine in print.
Recent episodes have explored everything from two retired teachers winning a landmark climate case against a mining giant in Australia to promising advances in Parkinson’s treatment and the surprising role seabirds could play in protecting tropical islands from rising seas.
The new show is presented by broadcaster and journalist Lucy Watson and Positive News chief digital editor Tom Pattinson, old friends who first met while working as correspondents in China. Both bring decades of international reporting experience to the programme, with their shared experiences and occasional disagreements helping make the conversations as entertaining as they are informative.
Journalist and broadcaster Lucy Watson and Positive News chief digital editor Tom Pattinson co-host the What Went Right podcast.
“We hear an awful lot about what’s going wrong in the world, but there are also some extraordinary things happening every week that rarely get the same attention,” said Pattinson. “Whether it’s a breakthrough in medical research, a community taking on a powerful corporation or a new approach to tackling climate change, we want to give those stories the time they deserve.”
For Watson, whose career has taken her around the world reporting on conflicts, humanitarian crises and political upheaval, the programme offers an opportunity to explore a different side of international journalism.
“What Went Right is a wonderful opportunity to explore the other side of the news, the side we don’t get to hear about as often as we might like. There are so many remarkable stories of people finding solutions and making progress, and it’s inspiring to get under the skin of some of them. We want people to come away feeling better informed about the world, and perhaps a little more hopeful about where it’s heading.”
It’s inspiring to get under the skin of some of the people finding solutions and making progress
The new weekly show follows the success of The Purpose Pioneers, a limited series that won Best Culture & Lifestyle Podcast at the Publisher Podcast Awards in July 2026.
“News avoidance is one of the biggest challenges facing our industry. Many people are turning away from journalism not because they don’t care about the world, but because the relentless focus on what’s broken leaves them feeling overwhelmed and powerless. Our new What Went Right video podcast shows there’s another way – trustworthy, interesting journalism about progress and solutions.” said Sean Wood, CEO of Positive News.
New episodes are released every Saturday. Watch the latest episode and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify and other major podcast platforms
