Rephonic
Artwork for 5 Good News Stories
Christmas
Guinness World Record
New York City
Santa Claus
Guinness World Records
Australia
Thanksgiving
Animal Welfare
California
Artificial Intelligence
Japan
Superman
Bob Ross
Pancreatic Cancer
Chicago
Christmas Decorations
Mcdonald's
Nova Scotia
Grapevine
Thanksgiving Dinner

Every day the news feels heavy. 5 Good News Stories is your daily antidote — five short, uplifting stories about human kindness, scientific breakthroughs, unexpected heroes, and moments that remind you the world isn't as broken as the headlines suggest. Hosted by John McDermott, each episode is under 10 minutes and designed to start your morning right or reset your afternoon. If you're looking for... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes671Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Entertainment NewsKids & FamilyNewsPets & Animals

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Artwork for 5 Good News Stories

Latest Episodes

Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: researchers confirmed wild Spix’s macaws in Brazil for the first time in 24 years, with DNA and behavior indicating successful reproduction after coordinated captive breeding and reintroduction efforts. In Ni... more

Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: fishermen and forest officials in West Bengal rescue a 3–4-day-old Asian elephant calf from floodwaters, reunite it with its herd, and confirm it is healthy; Zoe leaves a $75,000-a-year mechanical design job ... more

Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: two first-ever recorded olive ridley sea turtle nests were found in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, California, with 204 eggs moved to the Aquarium of the Pacific as scientists link the event to warming ocea... more

John shares five good news stories: an emu named Sideneck escapes an open gate at Tuckin’ Hay Farm and is brought back after a spirited chase and negotiation while the alpacas watch; Fat Bear Week draws over 100,000 votes and is won by 20-year-old Be... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Dr. James Greenwood
Veterinarian featured as the expert on dog behavior
Episode: How to become your dog's favorite person
Tony from Natural England
Representative from Natural England featured on the show
Natural England
Episode: Vape Squirrel
Carl Barney
Author of The Happiness Experiment, discussing methods to increase happiness
Episode: Sir Hissalot snakes away
Jillian Turecki
World renowned relationship coach, podcast host, and speaker
Founder of Jillian Turecki Coaching
Episode: You Might Also Like: On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Bob Parsons
Vietnam veteran and founder of GoDaddy
GoDaddy
Episode: You Might Also Like: The Oprah Podcast
Holly Crossley
E-commerce director at Dash Water
Episode: Adele's Hangover Tip

Host

John McDermott
Daily news and comedy host presenting positive news stories.

Reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars from 137 ratings
  • Always enjoyable

    I look forward to each episode. Johnny Mac does a great job. I just wish the episodes were longer.

    Thanks Johnny Mac

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jinx17
    United Statesa year ago
  • Stop putting other shows in my feed!

    Unfollowing because it downloads other shows that “I may like” several times a week. Very annoying.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    GreatNate80
    United Statesa year ago
  • Umm, Consent?!? Hello?!?

    I love this show, I love the concept...so much negativity comes at us constantly, this is a great 'thoughts and energy reset!'

    Yes, there are ads. That's not the fault of hosts, really...we all deserve to earn a living. Honestly, we all have 'commercial breaks' in our '9 to 5.' I don't mind them.

    I've considered (many times, actually!) supporting the show / network yet never have due to the invasive 'you may like *random show*' drop into my feed.

    No. I won't.

    If I wanted another show, I wou... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    DebInSEVA
    United States2 years ago
  • Downloads unwanted shows

    After several years listening to this podcast they recently started automatically downloading additional content that you ‘might like’. I have an automatic playlist and I most definitely do not like unwanted content getting automatically added to the list. I have unfollowed the show because of this.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    seekingnews
    United States2 years ago
  • Switcharoo

    I liked the original episodes. Then I started getting “bonus” episodes from shows I have zero interest in that are over an hour long instead of the short format I subscribed to. It’s a stupid promo scheme. I’m out. 5 star dropped to 1 star.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    NormeeB
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many appreciate the positive, varied stories as a welcome break from negative news.
Listeners praise the host's cheerful delivery, humor and ability to make the brief stories an upbeat part of a morning routine.
Several complaints focus on unrelated shows or bonus content appearing in feeds without listeners wanting it.
Some listeners feel frequent or lengthy ads interrupt the short news segments and weaken the listening experience.
A few listeners criticize rushed delivery, pronunciation and occasional stories they do not consider uplifting.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The most popular Halloween Costume the year you were born
Q: What was the most common Halloween costume the year you were born?
The host and guest discuss a year-by-year progression from cowboy and Mickey Mouse in the 1950s to modern franchises like Spider-Man and Darth Vader, highlighting how pop culture and media influence costume popularity across generations.
Panda Monium
Q: Where can people find the book?
The book is available wherever books are sold and can be pre-ordered from Amazon or thehappinessexperiment.com.
Panda Monium
Q: What is The Happiness Experiment?
It's a recording of real events with real people where I bring forward inheritance money to benefit them while they are still alive and encourage them to create a happiness plan.
Sir Hissalot snakes away
Q: What should my listeners do to benefit from this book?
They should think about happiness and make a choice to increase their happiness, discussing it with someone to create a happiness plan.
You Might Also Like: The Oprah Podcast
Q: What advice do you have for someone looking to go further with their psychedelic experiences legally?
Consider participating in clinical trials for psychedelics or look into legal psilocybin experiences in Oregon or Colorado.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About 5 Good News Stories

What is 5 Good News Stories about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Daily, short-form positive news built around five stories per episode. John McDermott, also known as Johnny Mac, delivers an upbeat mix of human kindness, animal rescues, conservation, scientific discoveries, community projects, unusual history and lighter seasonal topics. The format is a quick, accessible roundup rather than an extended interview or analysis, making it suited to a morning routine, commute or brief reset from heavier news. Stories often connect practical achievements with memorable details, from wildlife rehabilitation and habitat protection to young inventors, local fundraisers and unexpected animal encounters. The range moves between heartfelt and playful, with occasional jokes and consumer or holiday coverage alongside m... more

Where can I find podcast stats for 5 Good News Stories?

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How many listeners does 5 Good News Stories get?

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What are the audience demographics for 5 Good News Stories?

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How many subscribers and views does 5 Good News Stories have?

To see how many followers or subscribers 5 Good News Stories has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to 5 Good News Stories?

These podcasts share a similar audience with 5 Good News Stories:

1. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
2. That Sounds Like A Lot with Matt Buechele
3. Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
4. Up First from NPR
5. What Next | Daily News and Analysis

How many episodes of 5 Good News Stories are there?

5 Good News Stories launched 4 years ago and published 671 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact 5 Good News Stories?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for 5 Good News Stories?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for 5 Good News Stories from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for 5 Good News Stories?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of 5 Good News Stories. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on 5 Good News Stories?

Recent guests on 5 Good News Stories include:

1. Dr. James Greenwood
2. Tony from Natural England
3. Carl Barney
4. Jillian Turecki
5. Bob Parsons
6. Holly Crossley

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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