And news are...

The power of the media is legendary.

It is able to raise or destroy empires. Companies, people and countries are not immune to that power, and many governments spend a great deal of time trying to neutralize those effects. But at the end, media still wins.

I lived in Brazil during the dictatorship. A school task I enjoy a lot was to buy the Sunday newspaper, a huge edition that looked more like a telephone directory than newspaper. Homework was simple, just select some special news, prepare a collage and take to the school. It was a good reading exercise for everyone. But I still remember that, from time to time, there were strange things on the first page, like a cake recipe. Well, what is a cake recipe doing in the front page. Simple, replacing censored news.

Years later, Brazilian media is stronger than never. Yes, media power is great.

However, it is normally used to spread bad things around, and normally people go to watch, read or listen to something looking for bad things: a fire, killings, kidnappings and the present economic crisis affecting everything.

And its power really created a culture. People are waiting for bad things to come. Everyday. If they don't come, there are always the gossips to fill the time, until the next disaster happens.

Then, a few years ago, that huge power came out of the hands of a few to the hands of all. Social Network has become an incredible phenomena.

It did not steal from the media - which is probably even more powerful - but it created a new way of relating what is going on in the world. And among many subjects, there is one that draws my attention.

Few years back, a 40+ woman dared to sing in front of a big public. No fame, no glamour, just her voice. It was a hit - In a few days millions of people all over the globe knew about her, and it was not because of any of the big chains: her performance was posted into YouTube. It was one of its most watched videos (and it is still that).

Hope. Motivation. Another chance. Among all news of chaos and tragedies, porn and other very negative things, the social network is helping to spread hope around the world. It is helping to make the world a little better, blog by blog, post by post.

Check it out yourself. Just tour around Blogger and see the topics. Or go to your Facebook page and you will see love, peace, humor and all those things we appreciate more and more. And if you see a tragedy, you will normally read nice comments and powerful ideas and images.

It is not a rose garden - or rather it is, as roses have their thorns too. But Social Network has created a way to show the world people love the chance to be better.

I am guessing here, but I am sure one day our TV Network or newspaper will start to show that same trend. And little by little, that power of the media can conquer the world by indicating a path to humanity where there is always something to do, there is always hope and all problems do have a solution, even though it is a few words from a person you don't know even know.