This week I hired a publicist. This may not seem like such an unusual thing, but for me it was profound. The truth is that my book, “Testimony,” is not working as well as it could. I have been told that I need more “Star Power”. Sure, I have a loyal following of people, just like you, who read my articles, subscribe to my newsletter, or follow me on Facebook. However, today that is not enough. Nowadays, you have to have star power or celebrity status to really have your voice heard. Our culture tells us that it is It is not matter what you say, what Really The important thing is who you are when you say it.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not bitter about this, I really am not (really). I am, however, in all honesty, scared by it. We will form our opinions and take advice from anyone, as long as he is a celebrity. Reality stars become social scientists, movie stars become the equivalent of doctorates in the field of environmental science, and cable news anchors and entertainers tell us what our political and economic beliefs should be. Meanwhile, there’s a real voice of reason, expertise and experience sitting on the sidelines saying, “If only I were famous enough, my ideas could change the world.” Instead, we learn our history from pawn starsour science from Myth Bustersbusiness management of The newbieand world news and politics the daily program.
There are a lot of people out there smarter and even more educated than me, but I believe my message. I know that my writing comes from a sincere heart and a love of truth and honesty. For this reason, I am willing to do whatever it takes to help get my message heard. I don’t claim to have all the answers; however, I also do not intend to write or talk about anything I do not understand. I am the first to admit when I don’t know something and I am always eager to learn. But this isn’t really about me (I know that’s not the best thing to say for someone trying to gain a little more star power). It’s about realizing that it hit me this week, realizing that the truth is being ignored or replaced by… I don’t know what. It scares me that sincerity and honesty are overtaken by celebrity egos who can’t admit where their experience ends or begins. It scares me that star comments carry more weight than actual knowledge and understanding. Most of all, I am afraid of a future where a world looks to entertainment for facts while questioning or ignoring actual perception.
People used to buy books based on the content they contained, and even well-known authors could enjoy a life of anonymity, focused solely on providing thoughtful, meaningful content that could empower and excite their readers. This allowed authors the freedom to continually learn and grow, and in turn, their books helped others do the same. Today, authors are not allowed this freedom. Their time is spent gaining star power rather than knowledge. More books are sold than ever. Information is everywhere, but what about the content of books? People choose familiar faces over experience, passion, and even truth.
In case you missed it, the point is that we need to re-evaluate how we determine quality, accuracy, and reporting. The media have transformed the way people learn, grow and experience life. This is an amazing thing, but we must learn to recognize the difference between entertainment and knowledge. This is not to say that gaining new knowledge cannot be entertaining, but there is a big difference between knowledge presented in an entertaining way and entertainment presented as knowledge. We must learn to recognize the difference and challenge ourselves to look beyond the celebrity status or star power of those charged with shaping our minds, thoughts and opinions.
You may be surprised to find that unknown authors, bloggers, and instructors are the ones who can bring real value to the table. After all, they didn’t set out to be a celebrity; they simply have a story, knowledge or information to share. The work does not have a secondary agenda; They don’t write just to be heard, they write because they also have something worth listening to.