- About the Book

MEDIA RELATIONS HANDBOOK
for Agencies, Associations
Foreword by Mike McCurry
Published by TheCapitol.Net

Brad Fitch's Media Relations Handbook is required reading for press secretaries on Capitol Hill, public affairs officers in federal agencies, spin doctors in political campaigns, PR professionals in nonprofit organizations, lobbyists, and anyone whose job involves garnering media coverage in a town where ink is gold and airtime is platinum.

In Media Relations Handbook Brad Fitch moves back and forth between theory and practice with the grace of a prize fighter, teasing out general principles, then illustrating his points with real-life examples.

A former radio and TV reporter with 11 years of experience as a press secretary on Capitol Hill, Fitch covers the gamut of political press relations, beginning with the principal and his or her message, then showing how this message is manipulated through print, broadcast, and online communications. He explains how to deal with reporters, staff and policy wonks with the sage tone of experience coupled with generous doses of humor.

Media Relations Handbook devotes chapters to special situations including Congressional Campaigns, Federal Agency Communications, and Crisis Communications. All of this highlighted with anecdotes from the most important media battles in Washington over the past four decades: everything from Watergate to Whitewater, Barney Frank to Gary Condit, Sam Donaldson to Howard Dean.

From the pithy quotes that introduce each chapter to the appendices, glossary, and index that complete this guide, Media Relations Handbook is a tremendous achievement. If Washington press relations is a martial art, Fitch is its Yoda. Indeed, James Carville says that "Media Relations Handbook is to political campaigns what The Art of War is to military campaigns: an essential strategic reference."

An amalgamation of the collective wisdom of hundreds of public relations professionals, Media Relations Handbook is an overview of the ideas that have become the accepted rules of communications in Washington, presented in one volume. This book deserves to occupy a spot next to the telephone in every media relations office in D.C. Get Media Relations Handbook today -- and we'll see you in the headlines tomorrow.

"Uncertain how to interest the press in your pressing issue? Having difficulty preparing your media-unfriendly boss for a tough interview? Worried about the next communications crisis and how to handle it? Brad Fitch answers those questions and many more in this crisp, clear and completely useful book."
-- Tucker Carlson Co-Host CNN Crossfire, author

"A seminar from TheCapitol.Net is one of the best ways to learn from the experts about how Washington really works. Now all that insight and information has been packed into this invaluable volume. I suggest you read it, and become your own expert."
-- Steven V. Roberts syndicated columnist, TV and radio analyst, college professor

"Brad Fitch has performed an admirable public service by giving public relations students and professionals alike an indispensable tool. His book provides a road map on both the practicalities and principles of PR, and he shows that honest PR is not an oxymoron. Now it's up to all of us in the media and spin industries to keep our end of the bargain."
-- Ed Henry Congressional Correspondent, CNN, formerly Senior Editor of Roll Call

"This volume is an invaluable road map to the mean streets of a city where information is power and power is everything. Brad Fitch has written a rich 'how-to' lesson for pros and for novices who must negotiate the competitive landscape of America's new media."
-- Ann Compton White House Correspondent, ABC News

Copyright ©2004 by TheCapitol.Net, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please feel free to duplicate or distribute this file as long as the contents are not changed and this copyright notice is intact. Thank you.

- About the Book

The Last Word and The Word After That:
A Tale of Faith, Doubt, and a New Kind of Christianity
by Brian D. McLaren

In this final installment of the trilogy that began with his award-winning A New Kind of Christian, Brian D. McLaren tells an intriguing fictional story that raises urgent questions about the concept of hell and what it means for the Christian view of God and God's relationship with humanity.

Can a contemporary fictional tale weave together ancient history, Biblical reflection, theology, spirituality, and social justice? The Last Word and The Word After That answers "yes."

As Pastor Dan Poole and his friends and family grapple with their pressing questions about justice in this life and beyond it, readers will find themselves seeing the Christian message of hope and commitment in expanding and transforming new ways. The book aims to inspire readers to view God and neighbor in ways that are more truly biblical, more faithful, more evocative, more healing, more global, more just, and more robust

"If [the emerging church] movement can survive in the politicized world of conservative Christianity, McLaren could find a way for young Evangelicals and more liberal Christians to march into the future together despite their theological differences."
-- Time Magazine -- which named Brian McLaren as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Evangelicals

"Brian McLaren has written a remarkable book on hell and the grace of God. And it is one hell of a book! ...It evidences yet again why McLaren is an emerging voice to be taken seriously concerning new modes of church and new practices of faith."
-- Walter Brueggemann, minister, United Church of Christ; professor, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia

"With the passion of a Reformation broadside, Brian McLaren's The Last Word and The Word After That goes for popular Christianity's theological jugular: hell and damnation... In a time when some churches have been co- opted by fundamentalist political-theologies, this prophetic tale of a new kind of Christianity serves as a much-needed challenge and corrective."
-- Diana Butler Bass, Author, Strength for the Journey

- About the Book

BUILDING A LIFE OF VALUE:
Timeless Wisdom to Inspire and Empower Us
by Jason A. Merchey
Published by Little Moose Press

How Do You Build a Life of Value?

Civilizations rise and fall, but wisdom endures through the ages. Building a Life of Value is wisdom at its best -- pertinent, gutsy, original wisdom that relates to our everyday lives, our everyday issues.

More than just a book of quotations, Building a Life of Value is a fusion of great thinking -- from classical to contemporary, from philosophical to poetic. It is a concert of voices, harmoniously blended by Jason Merchey and his thought-provoking essays. It will stimulate your thinking, energize your spirit, and deepen your understanding of human nature.

Whether you're a parent, educator, business executive, adventurer, artist, spiritual seeker, student, or simply a human being trying to get your bearings, this book is a marvelous tool for tuning in to your heart and owning your own values. Consider it your shaman, your oracle, your foundation, your blueprint for truly building a life of value.

Building a Life of Value is a gorgeous, hardbound book of lasting value. Elegantly designed with archetypal chapter illustrations by Thomas Gaebel, it is printed on heavy, off-white stock and Smythe-sewn for durability. This is an ideal gift for students, graduates, writers, attorneys, ministers, and anyone with a regular need to find the perfect quote for any occasion.

PRAISE FOR THE VALUES OF THE WISE SERIES:

"I love this book! It's a great compilation."
-- Anita Roddick, Author; Founder of The Body Shop

"Values of the Wise is a treasury of ideas, thoughts, & feelings that represent the best of humane ideals. I hope it will be widely read because it could be a wonderful influence on the thinking and behavior of us all."
-- Howard Zinn, Ph.D., Author;
Professor Emeritus of History, Boston University

"Values of the Wise is Bartlett's Quotations with a conscience. It is a goldmine of insight and inspiration. If you want to learn how to remake society, and why, this book is a good place to start."
-- David Callahan, Ph.D., Author; political scientist and
Co-founder of Demos, a public policy think tank

"Like a medieval monastic scribe illuminating manuscripts for the few, Jason Merchey is compiling the wisdom of the ages for the many - a cornucopia of insightful treasures."
-- Michael Toms, Author; Co-founder and host of
New Dimensions World Broadcasting Network

"...an essential & beautiful book."
-- Robin Kelley, Ph.D., Author; Professor of African
American Studies & Anthropology, Columbia University

"An impressive compilation..."
-- The Midwest Book Review, Reviewer's Choice

"Values of the Wise is a wonderful collection of wisdom with powerful messages..."
-- David B. Wexler, Ph.D., Director,
Relationship Training Institute

"We all need inspiration and role models; we all grow and learn from each other. The quotations in VALUES OF THE WISE provide just that - inspiration and knowledge for our journey together. "
-- Deborah Lindholm, Executive Director,
Foundation for Women

"Reading the wise quotations in this book is like taking sips from a snifter of finely aged brandy."
-- Peter B. Raabe, Ph.D., Author;
Philosopher & Philosophical Counselor

"Values of the Wise is a great resource for professional philosophers and all seekers of wisdom. The book contains a comprehensive and inspiring selection of quotations from great thinkers and cultural traditions, quotes which can be used to stimulate class discussion as well as one's own thought process."
-- Judith A. Boss, Ph.D., Author; Visiting Scholar in
Philosophy, Center for BioMedical Ethics, Brown University

"One of the many illuminating quotes in Jason Merchey's provocative compilation is Shakespeare's 'There is no darkness but ignorance.' Like so many of the aphorisms that Values of the Wise brings to light, this little gem demystifies tragedy by placing its origins in the realm of the knowable. It also typifies the constructive and eye- opening character of Merchey's highly original collection."
-- Robert W. Fuller, Ph.D., Author; Physicist, educator,
and social activist; former President of Oberlin College

"With the book Building a Life of Value, Mr. Merchey has done it again; a feast of thoughtful, carefully compiled words of wisdom to nourish us all. Combined with his intriguing website, he has now truly entered the noble realm of helping others to learn."
-- Max Weismann, Co-Founder/Director, The Mortimer J. Adler
Center for the Study of the Great Ideas

 

Copyright ©2005 by Jason A. Merchey. All Rights Reserved. Please feel free to duplicate and distribute this file as long as the contents are not changed and this copyright notice is intact. Thank you.

 

- About the Book

KNIGHTFALL
Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy At Risk
by Davis "Buzz" Merritt
Published by AMACOM

With corporate balance sheets dictating what we read, freedom of speech is in peril -- and freedom itself may be compromised.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is clear: Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of the press. And yet a force seemingly even more powerful than the supreme law of the land threatens one of our nation's most precious guarantors of freedom.

For more than two centuries, American newspapers have collected, organized, and disseminated the information that makes democracy possible. Occasional opponents of a free press have not been able to cripple newspapers and despite dire predictions, neither have radio, television, or the Internet. But greed can kill American newspapers, thus eliminating the crucial synergy between journalism and democracy.

The reality that newspapers must remain financially viable has always dictated compromises between the competing missions of profit and public service. But in recent years the essential balancing of those missions has been replaced by a single-minded pursuit of profit. Whether the chosen method is scaling back of content, cutting corners to control costs, or dismantling the traditional wall separating the news and business departments, the result is the same: the watering down of newspaper journalism, which is the core of all American journalism. Without fundamental change in newspapers' corporate boardrooms, the flow of information that Americans need to govern themselves will dry up.

In KNIGHTFALL, Davis "Buzz" Merritt, a 40-year newspaperman whose career runs parallel to the seismic shift in journalism's landscape, examines one notable exemplar of this growing trend, Knight Ridder, America's second-largest newspaper company with holdings including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Miami Herald, the Detroit Free Press, and the Mercury News in San Jose.

Merritt was a participant-observer in the 1974 marriage of two newspaper companies, a union that seemed made in heaven. Knight Newspapers' longstanding tradition of excellence in journalism coupled with Ridder Publications' business savvy should have created a unique company offering the best of both worlds.

That it did not happen is a reflection of complex changes in American society and the realities of modern business pressures driven by Wall Street. There are no pure heroes or pure villains in this story; the players were doing what their training, background, and respective family histories urged them to do. But the story's outcome is ominous for American democracy. Merritt's personal accounts of the 30 years since the merger illustrate the degree to which what we know is being limited. Further, his portraits of key figures, analysis of societal changes, and dozens of interviews with others who were (and are) there reveal that not only is he on target, he is also not alone in his unsettling conclusions.

A free press is a cornerstone of our democracy. The erosion of that foundation is a catastrophe in the making: the real possibility that the kind of journalism that gave rise to -- and preserves -- our democracy will disappear.

 

"A daily newspaper can be regarded as a business not intrinsically different from making coat hangers or carpets. But to do so is to disregard the central role of newspapers and quality journalism in the democratic life of our communities and nation. Buzz Merritt presents a detailed social analysis of the trends that have undercut journalism's critical role in public life. To understand where we are, how we got here, and where we need to go, invest some time in KNIGHTFALL."
-- Maxwell McCombs, Jesse H. Jones Centennial Chair,
School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin

"KNIGHTFALL lifts the thin veil of corporate respectability from the long, steady suffocation of America's newspapers. Merritt's compelling case study is Knight Ridder -- yet the same sad story is playing out in print and broadcast newsrooms across the land. The slow but sure victory of outlandish profits over civic health endangers us all. To respond, we must understand. Start here."
-- Geneva Overholser, Missouri School of Journalism,
former editor, Des Moines Register

"Merritt presents a sweeping account of the changes in journalism that are having an impact on the role newspapers play in our democracy. No one is in a better position to explain why than Merritt, whose views are informed by more than 40 years as a journalist. He is both an insightful professional and a dedicated citizen."
-- David Mathews, President, Kettering Foundation

"The story of the newspaper business in the 20th century is like a Sophocles play where the protagonists can see that their actions will lead to doom, but they are powerless to stop. Buzz Merritt built his career in the middle of this real-life tragedy, and his well-written case study helps us to understand the entire industry."
-- Philip Meyer, author, The Vanishing Newspaper

"KNIGHTFALL is a troubling and revealing account of what happens to journalism when it is yoked to the insatiable demands of Wall Street. It will resonate and reverberate in newsrooms, and should be required reading for anyone concerned about journalism and the future of democracy. Buzz Merritt's status as an insider gives this hard-hitting book unusual credibility."
-- Gilbert Cranberg, George H. Gallup Professor Emeritus, University of Iowa

Copyright ©2005 by W. Davis Merritt. All rights reserved. Reprinted here with permission of the publisher, Amacom Books, http://www.amacombooks.org. Please feel free to duplicate or distribute this file, as long as the contents are not changed and this copyright notice is intact.