Everything Is Not A Conspiracy!

 Yes, I said it. Everything is not a conspiracy. Every single aspect of our lives is not a government plot, and no… the whole world is not out to get you. It is time to take the tin foil off your windows and breathe a little.

 

As a writer/blogger it is my job to grab and hold your attention. Some writers are naturally funny. These are the writers that hold our attention with laughter. Some writers choose to bring out the anger emotion. They choose a subject to write about that will invoke anger in their chosen audience. Other writers hold our attention by teaching or informing us of things we are interested in. So, if we writers reach in and touch you on an emotional level, whether we make you laugh, cry, or just plain piss you off or we teach you something, we have done or job.

 

Back in the day writers and journalist were held to a certain standard. If they published a story or article that was not factual, they were crucified by both the public and their peers. These days articles and stories are published for one reason only…the almighty dollar. Views translate into advertising dollars which in short means the writer gets a payday.

 

So how does all this lead back to my title? Well that is easy. Thanks to social media conspiracy theories seem to be the most popular thing to write about at the present time. Anyone with half an imagination can in only a few minutes slant any story into a conspiracy to draw their readers in. Oh, and millions are believing every word just because they see it in print.

 

The vaccine theories are the ones gaining ground right now. Just imagine if our grandparents and great grandparents had gotten together and decided that the Polio vaccine was a conspiracy. Many of our lives would have been seriously different. Modern medicine and vaccines have indeed knocked down and even eradicated many diseases yet many thousands are screaming that they will never take a COVID-19 vaccine.

 

Just because things in life seem connected at times does not mean that they are all part of a sinister plan. Social media is not a good viable news source. Unfortunately, there is an entire generation now that ONLY sees social media and nothing else. These are the so-called sheep. What you get is simply the writers’ opinion, just as you are getting mine now. Don’t agree with me, not a problem. Tell me in the comments, share it with your friends. Simply have an opinion, share that as well.

 

Just remember, writers get paid to stir your emotion and to piss you off. Take time to research and investigate what you read before you believe it. By the way, there is a snake in your bathroom, don’t ask me how. 

Really? Because You Read It On Facebook?

For a writer Facebook can be the most wonderful place. It’s a place where writers can post links to their written work, learn of new topics to write about, and interact with fans and followers. For some, such as myself is both a place of business and recreation. For some poor souls it’s nothing more than a place to stir up drama and gossip.

 

What I really have on my mind today, is the amount of bad journalism the internet provides us with. By bad journalism, by no means, do I mean missing commas, periods, and question marks. If that were the case I would be writing about myself. The stories and the imagination of many writers does concern me. For instance, if you are an article writer and your research comes from browsing Facebook…you are struggling. You might as well be researching your topic straight from a grocery store tabloid. You know the ones, they keep us informed about all the new alien news, and what movie star is sleeping with what other movie star. Wake up people, there is more crap journalism on the internet than there are grocery stores.

 

For those of you that aren’t writers, you have to understand that most internet writers including myself, get paid for views. The more views you get, the more you get paid, simple as that. What I don’t agree with is the amount of sensationalism and drama writers think they need to provide. The way I see it, if your story isn’t good enough to stand alone without making fun of someone, hurting someone, or down right slandering, you need to write a new story.

 

Journalists are often the eyes and ears of this country. I think as a journalist you should at least try to include a few true facts in articles and not just opinions. Especially opinions that you didn't even form yourself, but, copied from other articles across the social media platforms. I put myself in this group as well. If my writings don’t seem to add up, I challenge each of you to do your own research, dig deeper, and find out the real truth. I’ll give you a quick example of how gullible people can be. Google this: Lake Catoma Lake Monster. This is a satirical piece I wrote years ago that had just a dash of truth to it. Unfortunately many people believed the whole thing.

 

Yes, I believe writers owe it to the public to tell the truth. There are two sides to every story, tell them both. Our country is in the shape it’s in now partially because of biased journalism. Journalists can play a part in restoring honor, dignity, and trust to this nation. It’s time to get started. If it has to start with me, so be it. I am not afraid. You guys have a great day.

Lowell Henderson

Lowellhenderson65@yahoo.com