Freelance writing and controversial subjects

Regardless of how carefully you select your clients, you are bound to be asked at one time to write to or about topics that may be considered controversial.  Controversy is more evident in some topics than in others. For example, we all know that religion and politics are highly controversial subjects.  Passions run deep and people have very strong opinions about these subjects one way or another.

There is a better than good chance that you will not be asked to write political or religion articles unless they are specifically geared to a blog, website or other publication that specifically is geared towards these topics. But, what about other subjects that might be controversial? Here are some examples:

Health Topics – You may not think that topics about health would be very controversial but they can be.  Today, health issues include not just “Western medical protocols” but often include herbal medicine, natural protocols, etc.  Because of this, there is a high chance that your writing could be controversial.

Diet & Exercise – There are a number of websites that discuss dieting as the most effective means of weight loss.  There are an equal number that talk about various exercise protocols.  There are even more that tout various weight loss protocols through medication. Each of these methods can be controversial.

Parenting – This is  topic that is near and dear the heart of anyone who has children.  Whether you believe a child should be spanked or not, whether you believe that they should be home schooled or not, someone will disagree with you.  There are few parenting topics that could be completely free of controversy.

Product reviews – For every person who has had a positive experience with a product, you can most likely find a group that have had a negative experience.  Because of this, product reviews, movie reviews and book reviews can start off a string of controversy that you might not be prepared for.

Climate change - With the growing movement towards ecologically friendly topics, chances are that you may be asked to write one or more articles that focus on climate change.  Aside from the politics of this, there are a number of reasons this topic could be deemed to be controversial.

How to write to these topics

You may not want to turn away from these topics just because they have the potential to be controversial. Instead, you can avoid inflaming tempers by writing clear, concise articles that are free from your own personal opinions.  When writing about controversial subjects, make the articles (or blog posts) factual, free from opinions and provide links that back up your words.

Summary

These are just a few of what appear to be difficult to write about topics. You can still be an effective writer whether you agree or disagree with the subject matter.  Separate yourself from the topic and do your research, and you can write a great article about a controversial topic that is factual and lacks “talking points”.