On the heels of last week’s blog that seemed to stir a little controversy in the UFO community, I want to take the time to say thank you to everyone who read and supported what I was trying to say. The amount of shares the blog got was eye opening. The amount of support I received from telling what I believe to be the truth was a tad overwhelming, to be honest. There were very few negative comments directed at me, even though many messaged me to say they were shocked to read that I had the strength to write what I did. There were a couple of critics, which is to be accepted since you can’t please everyone. But I’m okay with that.
However there are a couple of clarifications I want to clear up before moving on. I’ve had a few people say that I was unjust towards the winner of ‘Researcher of the Year’ in film maker Jeremy Corbell. Jeremy knows he is a target because he’s an outspoken character that really does what he wants to do. That rubs many people the wrong way, and frankly, I don’t think Jeremy cares. He’s out to do his own thing. Even though many in this field have not been fans of Jeremy’s personally, he’s always treated me well. I’ve made it a habit since starting in this field to not allow previous reputation rule the roost. If someone treats me well, I will treat them well. It’s a good rule to follow.
As I stated last week, I like the Bob Lazar film Jeremy made. I also enjoyed Patient-17. I have yet to see the Skinwalker Ranch movie. But if it’s like the other two, I’m going to be a fan. There are those who don’t like his films, but that doesn’t resonate with me. The only issue I’ve ever had with Jeremy is when I asked him on the air the last time he was on the show, was when he denied access to Bob Lazar to media outlets, yet allowed him to be interviewed by Secure Team 10, which has claimed more hoaxes as UFOs. I personally thought this was a bad choice. However, the way Jeremy explained the reasoning, for him, Bob and the sake of the movie, it made sense. 2.1 million YouTube subscribers gets you a lot of pull. Getting back to Researcher of the Year, I do stand by my word. And I’ve now talked to a few people who watched the announcement of the award live at the International UFO Congress, and all agreed that the majority of the audience in attendance were stunned Corbell’s name was called as the winner.
The people in attendance were expecting the award to go to either George Knapp or Chris O’Brien. Boy were they caught off guard. Look let’s be realistic here for a second. Winning the award is not Jeremy’s fault. The debate shouldn’t be whether or not he should have won. That includes what I wrote last week. The question should should be on the ethics of the IUFOC who chose him. I will not go back on my words in what I wrote last week. That would be hypocritical. But the anger of ufologists everywhere should be directed at those who made the choice.
Had it had been my choice, I strongly believe Luis Elizondo from the To The Stars Academy should have won the award. As much as I have been on record stating the TTSA has not been as forthright as I would have expected, and therefore have not put my support behind them publicly, Elizondo, in one year has done more for Ufology to push it forward, especially in the mainstream, than any other person in the last 70-plus years. Why this was not recognized, we will never know.
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This past week I’ve also been asked to define what a journalist is? Some are saying I’ve been taking this way too personally in calling out some of the self-titlers out here. Also asking who is it really hurting if someone wants to title themselves as a journalist. This is where I’m going to direct you to an interview I did back in early September with Bruce Claggett. Bruce is news editor for CKWX News 1130 Radio in Vancouver. He’s been in the radio industry for over 30-years. He’s also taught journalism at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, my alma mater. Here’s the link for you to listen,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dVQBhRTBoBruce was able to bring real perspective into the topic of journalism that many in the field do not understand. But understand this. Bloggers and vloggers are not journalists. If you’ve never worked in a news room, or covered a ‘beat’, then you don’t understand how journalism really works. You can be a writer. A researcher. A blogger, vlogger, etc. But how can you call yourself a journalist? It’s training. It’s understanding how a story is put together. I was questioned about my blog, because it was very opinionated. Well, here’s the simple answer. A blog is not journalism. It is opinion. Which is why in newspapers you don’t see columnists refer to themselves as journalists. They are there to provide opinion on the highlighted story of their choice, albeit sports, politics, healthcare, you name it. Op-ed pieces are there to support the opinion of the writer, and do not have the point/counterpoint that a journalistic story should have. These are a couple of the little nuances that those who’ve never worked in journalism but call themselves a journalist tend to leave out.
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I’m very excited for the second half of September, where I will be speaking at both the Alien Cosmic Expo, September 21-23 in Toronto, Ontario. I will be speaking about my own personal experiences with UFOs and extraterrestrial contact. I’m excited to open up a whole new audience to Spaced Out Radio. It’s going to be a blast.
Also, on September 28th, I will be speaking at the Forest Moon Paracon down in Sedro Wooley, Washington. Eric Cooper, his wife Izzy and their great team are having me speak for the fourth year in a row. I’m always excited to attend this event because it’s low key, and run by fantastic people. Here I will be speaking on the Mainstream Media’s coverage of UFOs. Is there a narrative being played out? Hopefully I can nail it.
I’ve just confirmed I will also be speaking at UFOCON 2020 in San Francisco, California February 20-23. Lorien Fenton’s event will be another classic. My speech will be about what it’s like to be both a journalist and an experiencer.
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We have received a lot of compliments lately regarding the new sound to our weekend, with Richard Giordano hosting Spaced Out Saturdays and Everett Themer hosting Spaced Out Sundays. Two great guys who really have great minds on the subjects we deal with. I know when there’s change, there’s always a little bit of hesitancy with listeners. But trust me on this. These two are great individuals who have raised the professionalism of what we do. That’s not slighting anyone who previously hosted the weekend shows. We wanted more of a continuous sound from the Monday through Friday show. What both Rich and Everett bring is knowledge and understanding of the paranormal tree. Give them time to relax and get comfortable. You’ll enjoy them as much as I do.
Some SOR Housekeeping For You All!
Dave Scott