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How to Influence the “Liberal Media”
A Gallup Poll revealed in September 2019 that Americans’ trust in the media had hit a new low. Only 41 percent of us feel like we can trust mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly. Ad Fontes Media regularly assesses and rates the news for bias and reliability with a rigorous methodology used by a politically balanced team of analysts. Here’s their monthly chart for June 2020. Aren’t you happy to see that the Weather Channel is considered neutral? 😉 As a journalist (which means I’m a member of the media), I often grit my teeth over many conservative Christians’ responses to the media—especially believers who watch only one cable…
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Helping Kids Process Traumatic Events
Living in an information saturated world means we often get bombarded with news events. I recall crying when I read the news on Sandy Hook and feeling sick to my stomach over the events in Paris. And now, the latest terrorism in Orlando leaves us all stunned—CNN is calling it the “deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.” How do we respond to such events? And, how do we help our children process difficult news when we struggle to make sense of it ourselves? Be careful of media exposure—Whenever possible, avoid letting children under 5 view any traumatic news. Many psychologists also suggest that children between the age of 6–11 should…
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Gaza, Ukraine, ISIS, Afghanistan, Libya, Honduras…Five Ways To Dispel Dread
Like me, you hear the stories of a jet blown out of the sky, bodies falling and bloating in the Ukranian sun. No one allowed to gather them and send them home to their grieving families. In Europe. And you sense that some line has been crossed. Christians flee Mosul, Iraq, their community’s home for thousands of years, with only the clothes on their backs (see Gwen's post below). Another line crossed. Maybe also like me, the churn in the world amplifies the churn of bad news in your own family and friends–careers disrupted, separation–news that has you "writing the book" with heartbreaking storylines. Do we let the dread…
