Originally published February 8 2011
With Huffington Post sold to AOL, NaturalNews invites top alternative health authors to join truly independent news network
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
(NaturalNews) The Huffington Post was sold to AOL for $315 million yesterday, meaning the site, which was once the darling of independent media, is now clearly positioned as institutionalized media. As the editor of NaturalNews, I have, over the last several months, received several concerning emails from credentialed medical writers and natural health authors whose stories were dropped from consideration for publication at Huffington Post. There was a rising sense of frustration long before this sale that seemed to indicate HuffPost was headed in the direction of conventional media.
Yesterday's sale to AOL merely confirms this. AOL, of course, is the recent spin-off of Time Warner, which also owns CNN, Warner Bros., TIME, HBO, Fortune, People, and a long list of other mainstream media giants (http://www.cjr.org/resources/index.php?c=tim...). There is a tremendous amount of concern reverberating across the 'net that the HuffPost acquisition by AOL will turn the site into just another conformist, watered-down corporate mouthpiece.
Many of the site's best writers are wondering where they can go to get their alternative medicine stories published. It certainly isn't WebMD, which even the New York Times just called out as being a mouthpiece for the pharmaceutical industry, saying "WebMD is synonymous with Big Pharma Shilling". (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/magazine/0...)
It's a good time to be truly independent
As it happens, NaturalNews is, just this month, launching a format change that will make NaturalNews.com more like what the Huffington Post used to be: A collection of stories from independent thinkers, grassroots authors and people who challenge the status quo. A site where intelligence takes precedence over conformity, and where authors and writers who question the status quo are welcomed... and even featured!
Beginning today, NaturalNews is actively welcoming credentialed writers and op-ed authors who wish to be featured on NaturalNews.com as part of our new format which places more emphasis on featured contributing writers. We especially welcome former Huffington Post writers who want to be part of a truly independent, yet well-established health news site that already reaches millions of readers each month.
We have nothing against the Huffington Post, which will no doubt continue to be a very influential news organization under AOL, but we'd like to offer HuffPost writers who saw their best stories dropped a new opportunity to get greater visibility (and more freedom of speech) at NaturalNews.com.
Specifically, we welcome medically credentialed health writers and published authors who are aligned with the principles of holistic healing, nutrition and disease prevention. We also welcome experienced speakers, researchers, thought leaders, grassroots leaders and others who deserve greater recognition at a truly independent alternative media site that's rapidly growing in its audience and its content.
The topics we hope to attract articles on include energy medicine, nutrition, consciousness, herbology, environmental health news, health freedom, natural health activism, organic farming, preparedness, sustainability and much more.
Email us at [email protected] to learn more about contributing articles to NaturalNews.com.
Dr Sherri Tenpenny is already on board as an upcoming featured writer. Ronnie Cummins from the Organic Consumers Association is already publishing with us. Dr James Chappell has already signed up, Jeffrey Smith from the IRT is on board, as is Mark Kastel from Cornucopia and many other recognized pioneers who are working to protect and empower consumers.
The list is growing every day, and soon you will see them featured on the NaturalNews home page.
How it works
Contributing articles to NaturalNews is easy: We give you a login account that allows you to log in through any web browser and post your articles or op-ed pieces. Our in-house editing staff reviews those stories, and then they get published on NaturalNews. Under our new system, story publication is more rapid than in the past, with breaking news stories now able to be published within 24 hours.
You, as the author, get to include an "About the author" text block which appears under each article we publish in your name. This can link back to your book, your website, or other web addresses that you wish to promote in your name.
Yes, you own your stories and maintain all the copyrights. You simply give us permission to publish them on NaturalNews.com. So you don't give up anything to publish with us. You only gain visibility and the huge reach of the NaturalNews network.
Why NaturalNews just keeps growing
NaturalNews.com is among the largest health news websites in the world, reaching over two million unique readers a month. Its sister site, NaturalNews.TV, has been called "the YouTube of the natural health world." It is the largest natural health video website in the world, currently serving over 1.2 million video views each month (and growing rapidly). It's not unusual for our articles or videos to receive over 10,000 Facebook shares. Example: http://www.naturalnews.com/030100_naked_body...
Some of our videos have received as many as 20,000 Facebook shares: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7EC06D27B1A945...
Authors who are posting right now on NaturalNews often say that their articles or videos already receive more publicity on NaturalNews.com than on HuffingtonPost. This will get even better as NaturalNews continues its expansion this year with the addition of new contributing authors, new broadcast shows, new video releases and other exclusive content. NaturalNews has just launched its radio network, for example, and the first show on that network, the Robert Scott Bell show, is already in full swing. (http://www.naturalnews.com/Robert-Scott-Bell...)
Truly independent
NaturalNews is a truly independent website, with no venture capital funding, no investors and no corporate influence. We are not owned or funded by any traditional corporate sponsors, and we absolutely do not accept sponsorship money from pharmaceutical companies or other companies engaged in harmful practices.
The network's editorial decisions are made by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger (that's me). I am a holistic health and nutrition advocate with strong Libertarian leanings. I'm often described as a "natural Libertarian," meaning I follow principles of individual liberty combined with natural health and respect for all life on our planet (plants, animals, people and more). In addition to heading up NaturalNews, I'm a writer, researcher, musician and journalist.
As an information network, NaturalNews is pro-consumer, pro-freedom, pro-environment and pro-nutrition. We're anti-GMO, anti-pharma, anti-fluoride and anti-corporate B.S. We question the ties between drug companies and medical journals. We even expose the deceptive marketing practices of processed food companies like General Mills, which is now exposed in some videos (below) that help describe what we're all about.
Examples of our message:
Education: "The Blueberry Deception"
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7EC06D27B1A945...
Entertainment: "General Mills Mind Games"
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=851519FA1AC72A...
Public service announcements: "Ignorance is Power"
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=544BD1D89A1519...
Join NaturalNews as a featured contributing author
If you're a credentialed alternative medicine practitioner, a published author, researcher, thought leader or other influencer in the world of natural health, health freedom, energy medicine or green living, please consider joining NaturalNews as a featured contributing author.
There's no contract, no obligation and nothing complicated. You simply submit your articles and we publish them. You benefit from the exposure and the links, and we benefit from having your content on our website. Many of our featured writers have gone on to great success with mainstream recognition.
For example, we were the first book publisher and promoter for Suzy Cohen, the 24-Hour Pharmacist, who now has a major book published under a traditional publishing house (and she recently appeared on the Dr Oz show).
NaturalNews was hugely instrumental in helping filmmaker Brent Leung achieve publicity and recognition for his film House of Numbers (www.HouseOfNumbers.com) which questions the conventional view of AIDS / HIV. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028707_AIDS_epide...)
In fact, with the help of our millions of readers and supporters, NaturalNews is a unique and powerful platform for those who have a message that prioritizes the People, not the corporations. We are a true "people first" media outlet, and we consistently question both governments and corporations.
Our readers are the most intelligent, skeptical and well-informed people on the planet, I believe. They keep us on track and they have zero tolerance for B.S. They know spin when they see it. They don't fall for typical corporate marketing propaganda, and they don't watch network news (except to have a good laugh, perhaps). Instead, they read books and websites; they listen to intelligent podcasts; they watch informative videos. They are the sharpest minds on the 'net, and frankly we are absolutely blessed to have the honor of serving this audience every single day.
That's another difference you'll find at NaturalNews, too: We respect our readers. We don't try to pull the wool over their eyes. We don't have a corporate agenda.
It's downright refreshing.
For the record, if you're wondering HOW this can be happening right now in our corporate-controlled world, the answer is rather straightforward: I am a successful software entrepreneur from the dot-com days. I spent the last ten years investing my time and efforts in NaturalNews, serving as the volunteer editor (yes, I don't even earn a salary here). With the help of many passionate people, we have built a publishing platform that empowers the People to think for themselves and question the world around them.
We have resisted numerous buyout offers and built a system of information that brings tremendous value to people everywhere around the world. And we're sticking to that. If you'd like to be a part of it as a contributing author, send an email to:
[email protected]
Note for existing Citizen Journalism authors: This new "Top Authors" system exists separately from the current Citizen Journalism system. Over the next two weeks, we will be inviting what we view as the best CJ authors to become featured authors in our new system. The CJ system will continue to function as it always has, except that we are increasing the number of CJ articles we publish each day to six, so you can expect a faster turnaround on those articles from here forward.
By the way, we wish Huffington Post the best success with AOL, and hope that authors who continue to write for HuffPost achieve recognition there. We have nothing against HuffPost; we just think quality writers deserve another option where non-conformist views are openly accepted, if not encouraged!
Thank you,
- Mike Adams
Editor, NaturalNews.com
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