If you think it's time for a change, then News for a Change is the book for you."--BOOK JACKET.

Imagine an atheist sending you regular prayer requests. Or your coworker grabbing you by the arm and asking you to stay late at work to talk about God just a bit longer. When Jesus talked about the Good News, people ran to him. We should expect the same response. Good News for a Change is about working together with Jesus to share the gospel in ways unique to each person's situation. You will enjoy evangelism because it is a fun, deeply personal, community and person-oriented way to connect with people. You'll be energized and focused on helping people discover why Jesus is good news for them.

David Suzuki cuts through the gloom surrounding the current state of the world's natural resources, and draws attention to the numerous positive instances where private companies, communities and individual citizens are making a real difference to the environment.

We live in an age of media saturation, where with a few clicks of the remote—or mouse—we can tune in to programming where the facts fit our ideological predispositions. But what are the political consequences of this vast landscape of media choice? Partisan news has been roundly castigated for reinforcing prior beliefs and contributing to the highly polarized political environment we have today, but there is little evidence to support this claim, and much of what we know about the impact of news media come from studies that were conducted at a time when viewers chose from among six channels rather than scores. Through a series of innovative experiments, Kevin Arceneaux and Martin Johnson show that such criticism is unfounded. Americans who watch cable news are already polarized, and their exposure to partisan programming of their choice has little influence on their political positions. In fact, the opposite is true: viewers become more polarized when forced to watch programming that opposes their beliefs. A much more troubling consequence of the ever-expanding media environment, the authors show, is that it has allowed people to tune out the news: the four top-rated partisan news programs draw a mere three percent of the total number of people watching television. Overturning much of the conventional wisdom, Changing Minds or Changing Channels? demonstrate that the strong effects of media exposure found in past research are simply not applicable in today’s more saturated media landscape.

We all know the bad news. Every day, along with all the bulletins on social upheavals and terrorist attacks, we read reports of another animal species on the brink of extinction, of how our ocean fisheries are collapsing, and of the damage industrial development is wreaking on our soil, air and water. We drive bigger cars, eat pesticide-sprayed, genetically altered foods and consume so much energy that even rich, industrialized countries suffer power outages. We seem intent on continuing to live this way, even though many scientific experts tell us our actions are suicidal. The good news, Suzuki and Dressel tells us, is that thousands of individuals, groups and businesses are already changing their ways. A growing number of companies are still making money while benefiting their local communities. Anti-globalization activists and Third World villagers are learning how to practice real participatory democracy and create real community. Farmers and ranchers are sharing their land with other species, including predators and pests, while still prospering. Even some governments, local and national, are starting to base economic development strategies on our collective dependency on nature, while decreasing large-scale interference in our ecosystems.

Watching or reading the news is an opportunity— an opportunity to give in to fear and despair, or an opportunity to make a difference! In Praying the News, concerned readers will find a practical guide to discovering the power, joy and peace of partnering with God. Veteran news reporters Wendy Griffith and Craig von Buseck offer an unvarnished assessment of the media as well as a comprehensive biblical plan for effective, world-changing prayer. They tell behind-thescenes stories not only of effective prayer for the news but also stories of their prophetic intercession while reporting the news. Bad news is no match for the Good News of God’s kingdom! Praying the News will meet a huge need in the coming months and years, since many events are coming that will shake our nation, and believers will need a book like this to help them pray into, and pray through, what is coming. Great shakings are coming on earth, but great breakthroughs, glory, blessings are coming from heaven to all who call on the name of the Lord (Isa 60:1-2; Joel 2:32).

America’s news media are relentlessly criticized as too negative, sensationalistic, profit-oriented, and biased, not to mention unpatriotic and a miserable failure at reflecting the nation’s diversity. Rodger Streitmatter makes clear that although much of the criticism is deserved, it obscures the fact that news outlets have also made—and continue to make—many positive contributions to the country’s well-being. A Force for Good: How the American News Media Have Propelled Positive Change offers a compelling account of the Fourth Estate’s efforts to improve U.S. society. Whether documenting the appalling conditions in mental institutions, exposing financial shenanigans and sex-abuse scandals, or championing an obscure pill as a form of contraception, Streitmatter argues, print and broadcast journalists have propelled significant social topics onto the public agenda and helped build support for change. This text draws on both historical and contemporary examples from a wide range of social contexts; the result is a fascinating tour of American history, social change, and the benefits of a robust media.