Positivity against threats: the importance of constructive information discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA

The spread of negative content poses a direct threat to national security, and the new trend in Russian media should be the creation of a constructive information agenda. This idea was explored by participants in the panel discussion "Media Heroes of Russia: Time for Good News", held on 1 November at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation's "Community" forum. The central topic of the discussion was to summarise the annual cycle of the project "Good News Mobile App" — a large-scale initiative aimed at creating and promoting positive content about life in Russia.

The moderator of the meeting, Chairman of the Civic Chamber Commission for Territorial Development, Urban Environment and Infrastructure and Director General of the Union of Russian Cities Andrei Maksimov, drew attention to the direct link between the information environment and national security.

"Today's session is not just about summing up the results of the project, but about a serious conversation on the kind of information space we want to live in. We bear great responsibility for filtering information and choosing what we want to share with our fellow citizens. The abundance of fake, distorted and anti-Russian content is already a threat to national security. That is why our task is not to prohibit, but to create and develop platforms such as 'Good News'. Only this way can we build a sovereign information space where truthful and positive stories about our country's development are valued," said Andrei Maksimov.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

A welcoming video address was sent to the participants by First Deputy Director General of the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity" Gennady Guryanov.

"The 'Good News' project became part of the presidential platform 'Russia — Land of Opportunity' only at the beginning of this year, and in this short time the project team has managed to double the number of users — from 37,000 to 72,000 participants: bloggers, students, teachers, journalists and simply caring people who have become the voice of positive news in our country. As we sum up the results of 2025, we are together opening a new stage of development. Your ideas, suggestions and stories will help determine what 2026 will be like for the project. After all, 'Good News' is something we create together every day — through our words and our deeds," said Gennady Guryanov, inviting everyone to collaborate.

Director for Marketing and Analytics of the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity" Mikhail Gusev emphasised the importance of building a community of like-minded people and shared what participants and organisers value most about the project.

"Probably the most valuable thing about the 'Good News' project is the community it brings together. Seventy per cent — and even more — of its participants are ready to recommend the project to their friends, colleagues and co-workers, which is a very high indicator. And of course, the project is also valuable because it is easy to join, allowing us to attract more participants from different cities and regions. Today we can see that the project literally covers the entire country, and that is something truly significant," said Mikhail Gusev.

Head of the Project Office of the "Good News" mobile app Vsevolod Selin added that over the past year, more than 13,000 positive news stories about the country's achievements and information on 445 events have been uploaded to the app. According to the speaker, all this content has found a lively response among users from across Russia.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

"According to our calculations, an average of 90 good news stories from across the country are published in our app every day. In reality, the number is at least twice as high, because there are indeed many positive and inspiring achievements happening in our country — and it is wonderful that there are people willing to share them. Over this time, users have opened our app 3.5 million times, which shows that the project attracts real interest. During the project, 55 partners have joined us, allowing us to award prizes to more than 7,000 participants across the country. This year, we have also started working actively on additional projects, introducing internship programmes for young participants in major Russian institutions, and much more. Thanks to our media heroes and all our partners. Together, we are building a positive information space," said Vsevolod Selin.

The event concluded with an award ceremony honouring opinion leaders who showed the greatest activity in creating and promoting positive content in 2025.

"Good News is not just about numbers and facts, but also about faith in our Russia. Let 2026 be a year of new good news, stories, and meanings," summed up Andrei Maksimov.

The "Good News" project was launched in 2023. Its main goal is to create and promote positive content about life in Russia and achievements in science, education, economy, industry, healthcare, sport, culture and the arts. The initiative is implemented with the support of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation and the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity".

Since its launch, the project has become an effective tool for building a positive information environment in Russian social media, supporting civic initiatives and shaping a new generation of opinion leaders. Anyone can join the initiative by registering in the app.

The "Community" forum, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, is held at the National Centre RUSSIA from 31 October to 1 November. The event brings together over 5,000 experts, government officials and representatives of public organisations.