Are you tired of reading or hearing about budgets in the red, cutbacks and layoffs? So are we.

The news, however, from both city hall and the school district isn’t pretty, and our job is to report the news, not to sugarcoat it.

It reaches a point, though, when you begin to wonder: Is it possible that the Internet, TV, newspapers, magazines and radio stations are making things worse?

A city official from outside Thousand Oaks said last week that media can cause economic gloom and doom when negative stories are reported. He cited an example from his college days many years ago when a investigative journalist wrote that home foreclosures had never been higher. In reality, the foreclosures had remained about the same—and quite minimal compared to the overall market.

But the story spread, gathered momentum and home foreclosures went up in reality.

The story became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Take a look around Conejo Valley. In the stagnant economy, according to people in the restaurant business, people were dining out less frequently.

Upscale eateries felt the pinch more than mid-range restaurants. And when people went out, they were ordering less expensive entrees and bottles of wine.

But nothing stays the same.

There have been signs of a turnaround in the local food and beverage industry. Immediate seating is scarce again, at least during peak hours. Fewer tables are empty. At some eateries, if you didn’t make a reservation on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll be looking at Plan B.

Better days may be closer than we think.