WorldNetDaily

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WorldNetDaily (WND) is an internet news and commentary site founded in May 1997 by Joseph Farah, a former editor of several major-market daily newspapers and a founder of the conservative non-profit Western Journalism Center. The site became a for-profit arm of the Center in October 1999.[1]

The WND mission statement describes its role as a watchdog on government: "We remain faithful to the traditional and central role of a free press in a free society – as a light exposing wrongdoing, corruption and abuse of power. We also seek to stimulate a free-and-open debate about the great moral and political ideas facing the world and to promote freedom and self-government by encouraging personal virtue and good character."[2]

WND operates the G2 Bulletin website, a subscription-only website described as an "intelligence resource" for "insights into geo-political and geo-strategic developments." It also operates a book-publishing division, WND Books, which has published books by Michael Savage, Katherine Harris, Joseph Farah, and Jerome Corsi, among others. In January 2008, WND announced it had acquired its publishing partner, World Ahead Publishing.[3]

Libel lawsuit

On September 20, 2000, WND published an article[4] claiming that Clark Jones, a Tennessee car dealer and fund-raiser for then-Vice President Al Gore, had interfered with a criminal investigation, had been a "subject" of a criminal investigation, was listed on law enforcement computers as a "dope dealer," and implied that he had ties to others involved in alleged criminal activity. In 2001, Jones filed a lawsuit[5] against WND; the reporters, Charles C. Thompson II and Tony Hays; the Center for Public Integrity, which had underwritten Thompson and Hays' reporting on the article and related ones[6]; and various Tennessee publications and broadcasters who he accused of repeating the claim, claiming libel and defamation. The lawsuit had been scheduled to go to trial in March 2008[7], but on February 13, 2008, WND announced that a confidential out-of-court settlement had been reached with Jones.[8] A settlement statement jointly drafted by all parties in the lawsuit states in part:

"Discovery has revealed to WorldNetDaily.com that no witness verifies the truth of what the witnesses are reported by authors to have stated. Additionally, no document has been discovered that provides any verification that the statements written were true.

"Factual discovery in the litigation and response from Freedom of Information Act requests to law enforcement agencies confirm Clark Jones' assertion that his name has never been on law enforcement computers, that he has not been the subject of any criminal investigation nor has he interfered with any investigation as stated in the articles. Discovery has also revealed that the sources named in the publications have stated under oath that statements attributed to them in the articles were either not made by them, were misquoted by the authors, were misconstrued, or the statements were taken out of context."[9]

Anti-Global Warming Contest

In 2008 WND Books -- formerly known as World Ahead Publishing -- sponsored what was dubbed "'The Sky's Not Falling" video/essay contest'", named after the book by Holly Fretwell, The Sky's Not Falling: Why It's OK to Chill About Global Warming. "The two grand prize winners in both categories will receive $200. Second place winners will receive $100, and third place winners will receive $50. Plus, all 6 winners will receive copies of "The Sky's Not Falling: Why It's OK to Chill About Global Warming" to donate to their child's classroom and school library, and a copy of the hard-to-get DVD "The Great Global Warming Swindle," World Ahead stated on their website.[10] WorldNetDaily stated that the DVD prize was being sponsored by junkscience.com, the website run by Steven J. Milloy.[11]

Personnel

Staff[12]

Columnists[13]

Contact information

PO Box 1627
Medford, OR 97501
Phone: (541) 474-1776
FAX: (541) 474-1770
Website: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/
Website: http://www.wnd.com

Related SourceWatch Resources

References

  1. ↑ World's 'No. 1 website' goes for-profit. WorldNetDaily. Retrieved on February 24, 2008.
  2. ↑ "About WND", WorldNetDaily, accessed March 20, 2008.
  3. ↑ WND acquires World Ahead Media. WorldNetDaily. Retrieved on February 24, 2008.
  4. ↑ Thompson II, Charles C., and Hays, Tony. Officials say Gore killed drug probe. WorldNetDaily. Retrieved on February 18, 2008.
  5. ↑ Second Amended Complaint. Retrieved on February 18, 2008.
  6. ↑ Krepel, Terry. WorldNetDaily on Trial. ConWebWatch. Retrieved on February 18, 2008.
  7. ↑ Unruh, Bob. Future of reporting scheduled for trial. WorldNetDaily. Retrieved on February 18, 2008.
  8. ↑ WND settles $165 million libel case. WorldNetDaily. Retrieved on February 18, 2008.
  9. ↑ WND settles $165 million libel case. WorldNetDaily. Retrieved on February 18, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Kids & Globaloney Contest", undated, accessed May 2008.
  11. ↑ "Al Gore's global warming debunked – by kids!: Winners announced in 'The Sky's Not Falling' video-essay contest", WorldNetDaily, April 26, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Who's Who at WND", WorldNetDaily, accessed March 26, 2008.
  13. ↑ "WND Columnists, WorldNetDaily, accessed March 26, 2008.

External links

General Information

Articles posted by WND

Articles & Commentary

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