Originally published March 28 2007
NaturalNews readers making waves across the natural health, natural living markets (opinion)
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
I must be the luckiest journalist working today. Why? Because I have the distinct honor of writing for an expanding group of readers that has become the most highly regarded audience in the natural health community. That's not mere puffery, either. Let me explain why.
Each time I write a review about a particular company or product, I later receive a call from the company that was mentioned. The content of these calls is quite interesting, and it says a lot about the quality and character of NaturalNews readers. Usually the calls begin with a thank you, or even astonishment, since most companies aren't used to having anybody in the press write anything good about them unless there's a fee involved (and we don't do that around here. We never charge a fee to write a review).
And then, a minute or two into the conversation, a comment like this comes out:
"We received a flood of calls from NaturalNews readers and we were amazed at how knowledgeable your readers are!"
NaturalNews readers, you see, are earning a reputation in the natural health community as being expertly informed, passionate about natural health, and truly nice people to talk with. Time and time again, companies that I've mentioned in NaturalNews articles have called me and expressed the same thing: "Your readers are amazing!" or "We love to get calls from NaturalNews readers!"
And this is why I'm the luckiest journalist working today.
The real definition of freedom
Let me lay it out in "raw truth" language for you. I get to write for the best people on the planet -- people who CARE about the planet, who work to improve their own health and who want to be part of a revolution in personal health and green living that can make this planet a better place to live for future generations. And since I approach this with strong boundaries and no financial strings attached -- I don't get paid by anybody, and we take no money from advertisers -- I get to pursue this work with 100% honesty, integrity and passion for helping others.
In other words, I don't have to take any crap from anyone. Nobody can fire me. Nobody can buy me off (because I'm writing for free anyway!), and nobody can tell me what to write. So I write about what I see as being important for you, the readers. I cover products you need to know about, dangerous drugs you need to avoid, and trends that stand to impact your lives in a powerful way (sometimes good, sometimes bad). It's all done from the heart, with a level of commitment that can only stem from a deep-rooted personal passion for sharing information that can help others.
But YOU are the ones who make this all possible, and YOU deserve the credit for this, not me. Why? Because you stay engaged in the information. You're forwarding articles to friends, posting our CounterThink cartoons on websites, buying our books from Truth Publishing and taking grassroots action on subjects that really matter (like trying to help us ban direct-to-consumer drug advertising, which would save tens of thousands of lives each year in the United States alone).
When vendors call me with compliments, they're talking about YOU! "NaturalNews readers are the greatest!" they'll say. Or, "Where did you find such wonderful people?"
Good people attract good people
That says a lot about the people who read NaturalNews, and the nature of NaturalNews itself. As you know, it's very difficult to determine who you can trust these days, especially when it comes to health product reviews and recommendations. I hate to say it, but many of the popular health magazines you read out there contain little more than watered-down articles designed to please advertisers, many of whom are selling junk products labeled as "organic" or "natural." (There are some exceptions, of course, but most magazines aren't worth the paper they're printed on.)
But here at NaturalNews, you know you're gonna get the raw truth on the topics that really matter. From promoting truly organic products and companies to criticizing "natural" product companies for using yeast extract in their recipes, we tell it like we see it, and we don't pull any punches. We reveal our revenue sources right up front (book sales, primarily), we don't play money games with the companies we write about, and we print honest, even blatant opinions about nutritional supplements, prescription drugs, medicine and personal health transformation.
Apparently, word is starting to spread. The power of NaturalNews readers is growing each month. Remember when NaturalNews readers complained to the Amy's Kitchen company about the yeast extract still being used in a few of their products? That combined action by NaturalNews readers generated the most complaints the company had ever received in a single day. And on the positive side, when we recently ran a recommendation of a natural body care product line, the president of that company called me and told me it generated more calls and website traffic than a different article about them in Oprah Magazine!
Emerald Balance was overwhelmed with calls and sample requests when we recommended their superfood product, Pillar of Light was flooded with calls following our article on their experimental healing energy machine, and the NaturalNews reader response has hit some companies so hard that they sold out their entire product inventory in six hours! (Don't worry, they'll make more.) I've received countless thank you letters, calls and emails from companies we've recommended, and they're all astonished to learn that we do this with honesty, integrity and no asking for money or a cut of sales. It's almost unheard of in this industry. To run into someone with real integrity is, sadly, a rarity these days. But as I tell people all the time, I'm part of a group of half a million people with integrity -- NaturalNews readers!
Give yourself credit for being such a smart consumer
All this gives you an idea of the true power of NaturalNews readers, and it is your energy, your commitment and your critical thinking that deserves the credit here. Myself and the NaturalNews staff are simply a channel for information, and we do not take credit for all the magic that's happening here -- that's to YOUR credit!
So keep up the critical thinking, and keep reading NaturalNews. When you read NaturalNews on a regular basis, you join an elite group of world citizens who are among the healthiest, smartest and best-informed consumers in the world. You've probably already noticed this yourself. In social situations, aren't YOU the person who usually knows the best information about nutrition, health and pharmaceuticals? Sure enough. That's because you, like me, enjoy being well informed about issues that matter.
Most NaturalNews readers, by the way, don't agree with 100% of what's published here, and that's great, because it means they're critical thinkers. But they agree with most of the information, and they almost universally agree with the underlying philosophies: Protect the planet, enhance personal health, protect personal freedoms and create a brighter future for the next generation.
Today, I'm happy to announce that together, we are doing that! We are making a huge difference in the world, one person at a time. Through the products you buy (and the products you avoid), you are voting with your dollars. And guess what? The rest of the world is following your leadership!
Late adopters are finally waking up to natural living principles
It's true! Three years ago when NaturalNews readers were buying organic, and avoiding fragrance chemicals in their body lotions, and eating blueberries and superfoods, most of the world thought you were nuts, right? But today, the rest of the world is beginning to adopt the healthful living strategies pioneered by the kind of people who read NaturalNews. We don't take credit for it: we're merely one branch in a huge wave of positive transformation that started decades ago with the nutrition, organics and green living movements. But we're sure happy to be along for the ride and making a difference today!
Suddenly, being "green" is popular. Huge corporations like Wal-Mart, GM and Costco are going green. People are figuring out that pharmaceuticals are dangerous and that eating fresh produce is actually good for you. Even mainstream cereal companies are going whole-grain, and more and more food and beverage companies are releasing nutritious products that lack the dangerous chemicals we've covered here on NaturalNews. (Heck, even Coca-Cola is coming out with a new product called Diet Coke Plus, which is made with -- get this -- aspartame and supplemental vitamins and minerals. After you stop laughing, consider how powerful the natural health movement must be to get a company like Coca-Cola to try adding minerals to a nutritionally worthless beverage like Diet Coke...)
The point is, NaturalNews readers are trendsetters. And not just NaturalNews readers, of course. It's also the people who read Ronnie Cummin's work over at the Organic Consumers Association (www.OrganicConsumers.org) or who devour the outstanding research projects at the Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org). There's excellent work being done at Commercial Alert (www.CommercialAlert.org) and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (www.CSPInet.org). I'm sure there are many more that deserve to be listed here, too. We're all part of a natural living / green living / sustainable future movement that's reshaping the world right now, through highly effective educational campaigns and grassroots organization.
How you can help us continue to grow
As we continue to share this journey together, I really want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your independent-minded journalist. I take this role very seriously and I work at least twelve hours each day (weekends included) to keep bringing you information and solutions that can help you find a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.
Would you do something for me? The way we grow is by word of mouth. The best way you can help us expand our reach is to share NaturalNews with a friend. You might email them this article, or a link to this article:
http://www.NaturalNews.com/021752.html
You can also post any of our CounterThink cartoons on your website, along with a link back to us. You'll find the cartoons at: http://www.NaturalNews.com/index-cartoons.htm...
These links help us stay visible on the web, and they help introduce more people to our website. It's the single most important thing you can do to help us expand our reach.
If you'd like to encourage people to subscribe to our free email newsletter, send them to:
http://www.NaturalNews.com/readerregistration...
And if you just want to link to the NaturalNews home page, simply place a link to:
http://www.NaturalNews.com/
Every link helps us reach more people and, ultimately, save more people from cancer, diabetes and dangerous consumer products. The more people we reach, the more we help create consumer demand for healthy, organic, free-trade and cruelty-free products and services. For all those who have already linked to us, or donated money to our non-profit, or purchase our books, I personally thank you from my heart for giving us the resources we need to pursue this important work.
We have a huge collection of great content coming soon for you, by the way. I don't want to announce anything ahead of time, but I can say for certain that this year will bring you the best collection of NaturalNews articles, reports and investigative features we've ever produced. We're working hard to keep bringing you honest, independent and trusted information about solutions for personal health, green living and positive change. As long as we continue to receive your support, we will be here, bringing you the best solutions we can find, always from a trusted and openly honest point of view.
Thank you for allowing me to humbly serve you.
- Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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