Empower yourself in 3 minutes a day: An introduction to indy media, NewsTarget.com and the online information revolution

Friday, August 04, 2006 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...) Tags: Noads, NewsTarget Network, Mike Adams

Welcome to the NewsTarget Network. I'm Mike Adams, the editor. Although this network of websites has experienced remarkable growth in the last year, it isn't for everyone.

Only about five percent of the general population is ready to see, hear and learn the information being offered here.

Only you can decide if you're part of that five percent. No one else can decide for you.

I already know some fascinating things about you, by the way, simply by you finding your way to this website either on your own or through a friend's recommendation:

• You're an avid reader on the internet, and you likely visit several different blogs or independent information sites on a regular basis.
• You get more information online than from television.
• You appreciate variety and diversity (of ideas, culture, nationality, religion, and so on) rather than thinking everyone in the world must conform to your own politics, religion or beliefs.
• You are not easily influenced by advertising or propaganda, and you think for yourself rather than defaulting to whatever everybody else is doing.
• In school, you academically outsmarted the average student (and many teachers, too). If you attended a public school, you found it to be boring, which motivated you to find other forms of intellectual simulation, some of which later led to your hobbies or career skills.
• You're very selective about the friends you keep, and you were probably never at the top of the "popular" crowd, choosing instead to relate to people who are more stimulating.
• You believe that intention, not luck, determines the results you get, and that playing the lottery or gambling is a waste of time.
• You believe in fairness and in treating people with kindness and consideration (rather than exploiting them for your own personal gain). You have donated some amount of time or money to more than one good cause.
• You don't trust the politicians running your country.
• You believe there is more to reality than the physical matter we can touch and see.
• More than most, you consider the future consequences of today's decisions. Where others only notice what's right in front of them, you tend to see the big picture and you take care to make decisions today that improve your future.
• You are creative in a meaningful way, and you express your own unique creativity in your job, hobbies or relationships.

How do I know these things about you? It's simple: Because these things are true for us, too! Here at the NewsTarget Network, our staff and our readers share these traits, and we all tend to attract others who have similar traits. We call ourselves the "Forward Five" because we have a common desire to see things more forward in a positive, constructive way.

We also share some common beliefs that are not generally followed by the 95 percent who don't read NewsTarget...

What we believe as the "Forward Five"

• That you have the right to know about information that can enhance your health, life and happiness. (Many people in positions of power today believe you should not have the right to know, and that all information should be centrally reviewed, approved and distributed to the public through mainstream news channels, "official" announcements, and so on.)
• That you have the right to decide what kind of health therapies you wish to pursue (Eastern, Western, conventional, alternative, experimental, etc.). This is, in part, based on our common belief in free will and the idea that we should all have freedom of choice in areas like health. Today, parents are being arrested and their children are being kidnapped by health authorities when they refuse Western treatments for cancer. (See articles on Abraham Cherrix.)
• That there are things commercial interests don't want you to know. The FDA routinely practices censorship to protect the financial interests of drug companies, for example. Because common knowledge of simple, non-patentable remedies would put Big Pharma out of business. (Sunlight prevents breast cancer, for example. Sea salt prevents arthritis. Blueberries lower cholesterol. Pomegranates and zinc prevent prostate cancer. Etc.)
• That mainstream sources of information and news are heavily influenced by commercial interests or political agendas that inevitably alter the integrity of their information. Thus, "alternative" information sources such as blogs and indy news sites can often provide more trustworthy, independent information on topics that matter.
• That free speech on the internet is a precious and powerful tool, enabling the sharing of ideas and information in a way that is as important as the invention of the printing press. (Some authority figures believe the internet is "dangerous" and that all information should be centrally regulated and controlled. The FDA, for example, once attempted to ban all health discussions on the internet.)

If you, too, believe these things, or at least suspect them, then you're probably part of the Forward Five, and you may find that you really resonate with the information published each weekday on the NewsTarget Network.

Action items:

"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

• Click here to subscribe to our free email newsletter.
• Download and read our free health reports at www.TruthPublishing.com. There, you'll many free reports and interviews revealing breakthrough information that can radically enhance your health and help prevent degenerative disease. You'll also find reports on emerging technologies, ending cruelty to animals, and more.
• Tell others about the NewsTarget Network. Point them to this page to give them a starting place. The URL to share is: http://www.NewsTarget.com/019884.html
• Follow the topic pages that interest you most. If you're diabetic, for example, you may wish to monitor www.NewsTarget.com/Diabetes.html
• Make NewsTarget.com the default home page of your browser. (Choose Tools, Internet Options in Internet Explorer.)
• Use our free reference tools to gain new knowledge and help answer questions. See www.HealingFoodReference.com and www.HerbReference.com as examples.
• Check and refresh the NewsTarget Network daily for new stories. (We publish several new stories each day.)
• Link to our articles from your website to help spread the word, or republish our articles on your own site (please give us credit and link back to the original story on our site).
• Write for us. NewsTarget is always seeking similar-minded writers to cover important topics. Contact us at our feedback page for details (ask about "freelance writing").

Challenging the distortions

Here on the NewsTarget Network, we challenge the distortions of the mainstream media. When the mainstream media prints a story that claims, "Vitamins will kill you!" we explain not only why they won't, but also who's behind the distortion and why they want to convince everyone to live in a state of chronic malnutrition (hint: It sells more prescription drugs).

When new science discovers amazing healing properties of pomegranates, cinnamon, turmeric or other healing herbs, we bring you the story with the courage of free speech, not with some watered-down version that neglects to tell you why these plant-based medicines are more powerful (and safer) than prescription drugs.

When the FDA is caught red-handed masterminding the latest scientific fraud in an effort to protect drug companies from determined regulatory action, we pull no punches in reporting the criminal antitrust behavior of this rogue agency that has now been thoroughly discredited even by its own scientists. (See the FDA scientist survey results.)

When Texas law enforcement authorities kidnap a teenager diagnosed with cancer, throw her parents in jail, and force her to undergo a toxic chemotherapy treatment against her will, we tell the full story, the real story, without the politically-correct censorship practiced by other news sources. (See the true story of Katie Wernecke.)

In other words, we're what the mainstream media pretends to be -- a smart, independent news organization that digs up the truth and reports it to readers, regardless of the financial or political ramifications.

Our motivations

NewsTarget isn't about making money. (We currently barely cover costs.) It's not about selling products (we sell no nutritional supplements or health products whatsoever), and it's not about promoting any commercial interests (we have no affiliations with any companies, and our reporting is 100 percent independent).

It's about telling the truth on topics that matter like health and wellness, renewable energy, drug companies and the continued pollution of our air, water and oceans by irresponsible corporations.

It's about sharing information that people can put to use in their own lives to improve their lives. Our articles and reports have already helped literally millions of people quit drinking sodas, boost their immune system function, eliminate harmful prescription drugs, lose excess body fat, reverse diabetes, reduce their risk of cancer, enhance cognitive function and live happier, more well-informed lives. (See our reader survey results for details.)

Our motivations are, simply:

• To help educate, empower and uplift our fellow human beings through an online education campaign that reveals the astonishing healing power of foods, herbs, natural medicines and simple therapies. (See articles on healing foods.)
• To research and publicize new technologies and solutions that can make a positive difference in our shared future. This includes areas like renewable energy, medical technology, life sciences and even vibrational medicine.
• To expand our reach so that we may help millions more prevent birth defects, get their children off harmful psychiatric drugs, avoid deadly diseases like cancer and heart disease, and so on. (See articles on disease prevention.)
• To expose and help end the corruption and criminal behavior in conventional medicine, where drug companies and the FDA routinely trade public safety for corporate profits. (See articles on conventional medicine.)
• To publish other information that sounds the alarm on modern civilization's most pressing challenges such as global conflict and war, the destruction of the environment, the coming energy crisis ("peak oil") and others.

In a nutshell, then, our aim is to use the power of information to help solve problems and enhance the quality of life for us all. (Wouldn't it be amazing if traditional news sources had a similar goal?)

How we deliver information that matters

Each weekday, our team of editors, writers and researchers assembles feature stories and news reports covering the most important news of the day. Unlike traditional news organizations, our news selection criteria is not based on what stories get the most ratings, but rather what's most important for our readers to know.

These stories are posted across the NewsTarget Network (a collection of websites focused on specific topics). NewsTarget.com focuses on health, NewEnergyReport.org covers emerging energy stories, Counterthink.org explores "alternative" news, and so on. All stories are published free of charge and remain live on the website permanently (they don't disappear in two weeks like you see on many news websites).

We also throw in the occasional intelligent satire or comedy story, usually on Fridays, to lighten the message and include some variety.

Unlike most news websites, we don't play games with readers or treat them like idiots. You won't find pop-up ads on our site, nor "expanding" graphic ads ("screen spam") that pollute the screen with commercial messages. We don't require you to register an account, log in or pay us fees to read archived articles. We don't sell your email address or spam your inbox with irrelevant emails. In fact, we respect our readers more than any news website on the 'net. And that's a key difference that separates us from the mainstream.

Just as importantly, our content is truly independent and never driven by commercial interests. You ever notice how newspapers and magazines that accept advertising from big corporations also just happen to run positive stories about those same corporations? It's commonplace in the industry: the manipulation of editorial content by advertisers.

But you won't find that to be the case on NewsTarget. We take no money from the companies we write about. Our sole sources of income are the Google / Yahoo ads placed on our pages (which are placed automatically by them) and the books and reports we sell to readers. We have no hidden sources of income. See our Declaration of Journalistic Independence for details.

Here's how you benefit

"Empower yourself in 3 minutes a day."

No other news organization can make this promise, but we live by it: Give us 3 minutes a day to scan our headlines, and we'll empower you with information, solutions and wisdom that you simply won't find anywhere else.

No mainstream newspaper, magazine or news program would dare print what we do at the NewsTarget Network. They can't. Their advertisers wouldn't let them. So all you get from the mainstream media (MSM) is the news that pleases commercial interests.

But that's not real news. It's "shaped news," and 95 percent of the population gets suckered into it. Over time, their beliefs, words and actions begin to reflect whatever messages are broadcast by those who control the news!

Shaping the news, you see, is how you shape the behavior (and beliefs) of the people. That's why so many Americans believe in "miracle" prescription drugs for diseases that don't even exist, or in the idea that drug companies are altruistic organizations seeking cures for cancer that they will someday share freely with the world (an absurd idea that those companies' own shareholders would never allow to happen).

Shaped news serves commercial interests at your expense

It's why people believe they need new cars, homes and accessories they can't even afford, or why they fall for every financial scam that comes along, from the dot-com boom (and bust) to the current housing bubble that will inevitably burst and wipe out billions of dollars in real estate equity that people are banking on to support their spendy lifestyles. The mainstream media promotes the myths, pushes the scams, broadcasts the propaganda and drives consumers head-first into decisions and behaviors that solely serve the interests of their corporate advertisers, not the public.

Most people remain oblivious to this dynamic. Ninety-five percent of the people, to be precise, live out their day-to-day existence believing in a fantasy world that doesn't exist. They believe in the impossible: that there will never be consequences to America's accelerating national debt; that diseases like cancer or diabetes are caused by bad luck instead of processed foods, malnutrition and chemical toxins; that for-profit corporations will automatically act with the highest standards of integrity by placing profits as a lower priority than consumer safety; that the media seeks to accurately report the news that matters most rather than whatever sensational broadcasts make the most money; that our elected representatives actually represent our interests; that enough bombs and soldiers can solve any political problem; that housing prices will go up forever, generating "free money" we can spend without consequence; and that there is no disease or health condition that can't be solved if we could just find the right synthetic chemicals and inject them into our bodies.

These are the beliefs of the insane, and yet they are the beliefs of the majority in Western societies today.

"Innovation is the enemy of the status quo. It puts people out of business." - John Craven, ocean energy and aquaculture pioneer

The status quo doesn't want you to read NewsTarget

Sadly, the vast majority of news consumers would rather live in their imaginary world of distorted information.

Admittedly, it's easier to do so. Seeing the events of the world for what they really are takes courage, skepticism and a willingness to challenge and reform your own ingrained beliefs. Ninety-five percent of the people are not prepared to do that, and their ignorance is actually encouraged by the status quo that sharply ridicules anyone who steps out of the box and dares to think that things could be different.

That's because the status quo is extremely profitable for those in positions of influence and power. As long as they can prevent too many people from rocking the boat, companies like Monsanto, DuPont, Kraft, Pfizer, Merck, Exxon Mobil and countless others can continue to reap illicit profits on the backs of misinformed consumers who have been brainwashed into a state of compliance by advertiser-friendly media propaganda. They don't call it television "programming" for nothing.

But here at the NewsTarget Network, we're all about positive change. We promote grassroots activism, personal improvement and progressive information that our critics can only desperately label "radical," mostly out of fear that today's radical ideas will be tomorrow's accepted truths.

At one time, for example, everybody knew the world was flat. Today, almost no one believes that. Yet when Copernicus first stated this truth, he was viciously attacked by the status quo -- in this case, organized religion.

"The radical of one century is the conservative of the next. The radical invents the views. When he has worn them out the conservative adopts them." - Mark Twain

A little over a hundred years ago, every scientist in the world knew that heavier-than-air contraptions could never fly. It took two radicals -- Orville and Wilbur Wright -- to bring powered flight to the world, and even when it was happening right before their very eyes, half the scientists and reporters who witnessed the first flights were convinced it was some kind of hoax.

Here at NewsTarget, we don't claim to be Copernicus or the Wright Brothers. Rather, we're the reporters and writers who would have been covering such breakthroughs had we been there. And then, just as now, we would have been branded radicals for daring to question established "facts" and "knowledge" that all the world's experts hold as some sort of ultimate truth. Throughout the history of the world, the Forward Five have always been branded as radicals by the status quo.

What's yet to be reported will amaze you

There are more Earth-shattering paradigm shifts to come, you see. More geniuses, more brilliant radicals, and more grassroots reformers are headed our way right now. These people -- and their ideas -- threaten the status quo, just as the theories of Copernicus once threatened the Catholic Church.

That is exactly why we choose to cover them today: The pioneering healers and naturopaths, phytonutrient researchers, vibrational medicine explorers, exotic energy inventors, independent thinkers and radical reformers. These are tomorrow's Einsteins, Galileos and Wrights.

With each news day, NewsTarget strives to bring you the stories of the people, products and discoveries that can simultaneously empower you with new information and genuinely help make the world a better place. While other newspapers and cable news programs defend the status quo, we challenge it and invite the Forward Five along for the ride.

Ten years from now, you may not even recognize the world you live in. We believe that monumental changes will soon emerge in areas like health and medicine, renewable energy, global finance and politics. The things most people accept as "normal" today -- direct-to-consumer drug advertising, the drugging of our children with psychiatric drugs, the widespread fluoridation of public water supplies, and so on -- will someday be viewed as nothing less than insane. Future historians will be stunned at the ignorance and arrogance of today's world, much as we find it hard to believe today that the world's brightest scientists once insisted the Earth was flat.

NewsTarget brings you tomorrow's stories today

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

If you resonate with the Forward Five -- if you're an independent thinker rather than a follower -- then read NewsTarget on a daily basis. Each day, we will bring you the stories that other news sources refuse to print, or that the status quo refuses to entertain.

We pursue stories that explore tomorrow's most important breakthroughs... and at the same time, we help readers understand and apply that knowledge today, without having to wait years (or decades!) for conventional medicine and mainstream science to catch up.

A generation from now, for example, people will prevent cancer with sunlight. They'll eliminate cancer tumors with vibrational medicine. They'll control blood sugar with herbal extracts and heal broken bones with electricity. Aspartame will be outlawed, the mass fluoridation of public water supplies will be abandoned, and the FDA as we know it today will have long since disappeared into the history books. Only the most ignorant consumers will use synthetic chemicals (prescription drugs) to treat health problems.

These events, and many others, will take most people by surprise. But not NewsTarget readers. The Forward Five who frequent the NewsTarget website will be among the most well-informed, information-empowered, critical thinkers on the 'net. While Joe public is caught by surprise, NewsTarget readers will prosper. While Joe public is a victim of circumstance, NewsTarget readers are masters of adaptation. While Joe public faces the future with a sense of fear and hesitation, NewsTarget readers welcome it with a sense of confidence and optimism.

Join the online information revolution. Empower yourself with "radical" information, and firmly establish yourself among the Forward Five. There's no membership required, no annual dues and no place to sign up. You simply stay engaged with indy media sites like NewsTarget.

Here's what else you can do:

Action items (repeated):

• Click here to subscribe to our free email newsletter.
• Download and read our free health reports at www.TruthPublishing.com. There, you'll many free reports and interviews revealing breakthrough information that can radically enhance your health and help prevent degenerative disease. You'll also find reports on emerging technologies, ending cruelty to animals, and more.
• Tell others about the NewsTarget Network. Point them to this page to give them a starting place. The URL to share is: http://www.NewsTarget.com/019884.html
• Follow the topic pages that interest you most. If you're diabetic, for example, you may wish to monitor www.NewsTarget.com/Diabetes.html
• Make NewsTarget.com the default home page of your browser. (Choose Tools, Internet Options in Internet Explorer.)
• Use our free reference tools to gain new knowledge and help answer questions. See www.HealingFoodReference.com and www.HerbReference.com as examples.
• Check and refresh the NewsTarget Network daily for new stories. (We publish several new stories each day.)
• Link to our articles from your website to help spread the word, or republish our articles on your own site (please give us credit and link back to the original story on our site).
• Write for us. NewsTarget is always seeking similar-minded writers to cover important topics. Contact us at our feedback page for details (ask about "freelance writing").

How to support us

If you wish to help support the NewsTarget project, browse our books at www.TruthPublishing.com. The sales of those books (plus the text advertising that runs on our network) provide the operating revenue that keeps NewsTarget alive. Without reader support, this project simply would not exist.

Thank you for your interest and support,
- Mike Adams

About Mike Adams

Also known as the "Health Ranger," Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and industry watchdog with a mission of empowering people through articles, reports, books and other information sources.

With a background in technology, Adams founded a software company (Arial Software) in 1993 that has grown to become one of the leading email technology providers to Fortune 500 firms, governments, educational institutions and non-profit groups. He has since launched numerous technology campaigns and tools designed to help clean up the email medium and encourage webmasters to engage in high-integrity permission-based marketing.

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." - Steve Jobs

See www.Zeop.com and www.SpamDontBuyIt.org as examples of recent projects. Adams also created and launched Relemail email certification services in 2003, but the email reputation service was ahead of its time and was not commercially successful.

Adams is a compassionate person and has donated substantial time and money to various causes. In Billings, Montana, he helped raise money to buy a transportation van for Disabled American Veterans (DAV, Chapter 10). In Wyoming, he donated thousands of dollars in preparedness supplies to the American Red Cross. In Taiwan, he raised $10,000 (US) for the 1999 Taiwan earthquake victims. He has also donated therapeutic touch services to the elderly, volunteered at nursing homes and donated software licenses to groups as diverse as an animal rights group, a Jewish Community Center and the Dakota Squadron, a group of World War II veteran bomber pilots. In Tucson, Arizona, he donated thousands to a program to help buy bulletproof vests for police officers, and in Cody, Wyoming, he donated a pickup truck load of food and supplies to children and adults living in severe poverty.

Adams was also the creator of various public service education campaigns, including HealingFoodReference.com, the HonestFoodGuide.org and the upcoming project, Five Steps to Health (coming soon at www.FiveStepsToHealth.com). He has authored numerous free reports and interviews that have been given away to hundreds of thousands of readers at TruthPublishing.com.

Today, his altruistic plans include raising money to offer nutrition grants to grade schools and finding a way to donate prenatal nutritional supplements to expectant mothers.

With varied interests, Adams is an avid reader and lifelong learner. He has completed training in fields as diverse as Reiki (healing through therapeutic touch) and relational database programming. His current fields of study include microbiology, Western herbalism, Traditional Chinese Medicine, zero point energy, quantum physics, the history of freedom, World War II history, the philosophy of naturopathy, behavioral anthropology, accelerated learning technologies, organic hydroponic gardening, aquaculture, the history and structure of scientific revolutions, linguistics, homeopathy and the structure of water, rainforest herbs, morphic resonance and the technology of plants, psychoneuroimmunology and psychogastroneurology (the study of the nervous system of the gut), mind/body phenomena, computer/human interface technology, low-energy nuclear reactions and many other fields.

Adams watches no television, reads no mainstream news sources, and follows an unusually pristine diet to enhance cognitive function and creativity. He is an advocate of vegetarianism and veganism for reasons relating to nutrition, sustainability and a deep respect for all forms of life, including animals. Adams eats a partial "live foods diet" (raw foods) combined with high-concentration fermented proteins and an enormous assortment of nutritional supplements and superfoods.

Adams believes the body is a temple. He uses no drugs whatsoever (no caffeine, nicotine, over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs or recreational drugs) and engages in high-intensity physical training on an almost daily basis. His training regimen includes Pilates, yoga, martial arts, cycling, running, and Russian kettlebells.

Although he considers himself to be a spiritual person, Adams is affiliated with no particular religious organization. He also has no affiliation with any particular political party, believing that each candidate for public office should be individually evaluated based on ethics and merit. On the political spectrum, Adams believes in personal freedoms (Free Speech being the most important), direct Democracy (sans corrupt representatives), and sensible regulation of the private sector to prevent the exploitation of the people by greedy corporations.

Sometimes considered a "populist" writer, Adams is actually conservative on fiscal matters and believes that governments -- as well as households -- should balance their budgets and only spend what they can afford. On social issues, Adams is generally considered progressive. On issues of liberty and freedom, Adams is considered "radical" for actually supporting what the U.S. Constitution says.

Adams is paid nothing to write for the NewsTarget Network, and he has pledged 100 percent of his book royalties to grassroots organizations like the Citizens' Commission on Human Rights (www.CCHR.org) and Truth Publishing.

Learn more about Mike Adams at www.HealthRanger.org

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