WorldNetDaily locked out of Washington press corps: Joseph Farah slams government media-cabal

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Wednesday, February 13, 2002 | Joseph Farah

[JohnHuang2]

What do the following "news organizations" have in common?

Al-Ahram, Beijing Daily, China Press, China Youth Daily, China Times, Sing Tao Daily, the Vietnam News Agency and the Xinhua News Agency.

If you guessed that they are all – to one extent or another – representatives of the government-controlled press, you would be right. You win the prize.

But, they all have something else in common, too – something you may not have guessed.

They are all fully accredited members of the Washington press corps, with full access to congressional hearings, offices, press conferences, deliberations and special sessions.

Meanwhile, I need to point out, WorldNetDaily has been denied credentials by the august body known as the Standing Committee of Correspondents that granted those official news organs accreditation.

That's right. DENIED. Why?

Well, I will list for you the various excuses we have been getting for a full year now:

1. WorldNetDaily is a non-profit.

   Well, no it is not – as we have been telling Joe Keenan, deputy director of the Senate Press Gallery, since day one. The confusion about this stems from the fact that WorldNetDaily was launched under the auspices of a non-profit, the Western Journalism Center, in 1997. By 1999, it had been spun off as a for-profit operation and has been ever since. In fact, WorldNetDaily may be the only Internet news company actually paying its own bills with its own revenues.

2. WorldNetDaily is partly owned by a non-profit.

   Yes, there is some truth to this statement. Because of the nature of the spinoff, Western Journalism Center retains a significant amount of stock in the for-profit, though it is a minority percentage, and even that is continually diminishing as more stock is sold and as the company repurchases those shares. But, I'll tell you why this is merely an excuse for the committee.

   There are no written rules prohibiting either non-profit news agencies from accreditation nor companies partly owned by non-profits. In fact, there are many of them currently among the roster of news agencies accredited in the Capitol – the Christian Science Monitor, the Associated Press, Religion News Service and the Washington Times, which, like the Christian Science Monitor, is owned 100 percent by a church, even though the newspaper may be set up as a for-profit operation.

3. WorldNetDaily doesn't have enough original content.

   Again, there is nothing in the rules about this, which shows the committee is winging it – making them up as it goes along. But, I'll leave that to you, dear readers, to decide whether WorldNetDaily has enough original content. Some 2.5 million different readers a month seem to think we have something to offer. We have thousands – that's right – thousands of original WND news stories and columns permanently archived on our website.

   We have been responsible for breaking countless important national news stories over the past almost five years. Our material is frequently cited, with attribution, by many of those news organizations accredited by the Senate Press Gallery, such as the Associated Press and the Washington Post. But the czars of the Washington Beltway journalistic establishment apparently do not think these journalistic credentials are sufficiently worthy.

4. WorldNetDaily runs ads for books and other products mixed in with the news.

   No, I'm not kidding, people. This was the last line of explanation from Keenan when all the other excuses were shot down. Yes, I know, newspapers have been mixing ads with news for more than 200 years in America. I didn't come up with this, the government-media cabal did. Of course, it is the very fact that we sell products and advertising that enables us to be a legitimate for-profit daily news organization, though, again, not that it should matter under the committee's stated rules.

What does all this mean? In one sense, not much – WorldNetDaily will continue to expose the rampant fraud, waste, abuse and corruption in Washington, just as we have for nearly five years. We'll do it in spite of the obstacles. We can still get access to the Capitol with daily press credentials when we need them, says Keenan.

On the other hand, we'd rather have the same, unfettered access to our tax-supported government institutions as that which the standing committee has seen fit to give to the official Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram. We think WorldNetDaily should have at least as much access to Congress as Beijing's communist propaganda organ, Xinhua News Agency.

We've published the complete list of more than 300 daily "news organizations" below. You judge for yourself.

If you think the standing committee is making a mistake by omitting WorldNetDaily, maybe you should drop Joe Keenan an e-mail.

ABIM News Agency
ANG Newspapers
ANSA Italian News Agency
Aftenposten
Air Daily
Akahata
Al-Ahram
Al-Madinah Newspaper
Albuquerque Journal
AllAfrica.com
Allentown Morning Call
American Banker
American Metal Market
Anchorage Daily News
Arab News
Arizona Republic
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Artists & Writers Syndicate
Asahi Shimbun
Asian Wall Street Journal
Associated Press
Associated Press of Pakistan
Australian
Australian Financial Review
Baltimore Sun
Bangor Daily News
Baton Rouge Advocate
Beijing Daily
BioWorld Today
Bloomberg News
Bond Buyer
Boston Globe
Boston Herald
Boston University News Service
Bovard News Service
Buenos Aires Economico
Buffalo News
Business Day
CBS MarketWatch
CQ Daily Monitor
Cablefax Daily
Canadian Press
Casper Star-Tribune
Catholic News Service
Central News Agency
Charleston (WVA) Daily Mail
Charleston Post-Courier
Chattanooga Times/Free Press
Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Tribune
China Economic Daily
China Press
China Times
China Youth Daily
Christian Science Monitor
Chronicle of Higher Education
Clarin
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Colorado Springs Gazette
Columbus Dispatch
Communications Daily
Congressional Information Bureau
Congressional Quarterly
Connecticut Post
Copley News Service
Corriere Della Sera
Cox Newspapers
Dagens Nyheter
Daily Deal
Daily Oklahoman
Dallas Morning News
Dayton Daily News
Deep Dixie News Service
Defense Daily
Denver Post
Der Bund
Des Moines Register
Deseret News
Detroit Free Press
Detroit News
Die Presse
Die Welt
Dong-a Ilbo
Donrey Media Group
Dow Jones Corporate Filings Alert
Dow Jones Newswires
EFE News Services
East Valley Tribune
Easton Express-Times
Edinburgh Business AM
Education Daily
El Espectador
El Financiero
El Norte & Reforma
El Nuevo Dia
El Pais
El Tiempo
El Universal
El Vocero de Puerto Rico
Eleftheros Typos
Energy Argus
Energy Daily
Environment News Service
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Fairchild News Service
Financial Times
Financial Times Deutschland
Financial Times Energy
Florida Times-Union
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Frankfurter Rundschau
Fredericksburg Freelance-Star
Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette
Gannett News Service
Gas Daily
Gazeta Wyborcza
German Press Agency - DPA
Gestion
Global Horizons Syndicate
Griffin-Larrabee News Service
Guangming Daily
Han-Kyoreh Shinmun
Handelsblatt
Hankook Ilbo & Korea Times
Hartford Courant
Hearst Newspapers
Hindu
Hindustan Times
Hokkaido Shimbun
Hollywood Reporter
Hong Kong iMail
Houston Chronicle
Huntsville Times
Hurriyet
Il Giornale
Il Sole 24 Ore
Il Tempo
Inter Press Service
International Herald Tribune
Investor's Business Daily
Irish Times
Itar-Tass News Agency
Jerusalem Post
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jiji Press
Joong Ang Ilbo
Jyllands-Posten
Kipling News Service
Knight Ridder
Korea Economic Daily
Kuwait News Agency
Kyodo News
Kyung Hyang Shinmun
L'Orient - Le Jour
L'Unita
LRP Publications
La Jornada
La Nacion
La Nazione
La Opinion
La Razon
La Tribuna
La Van Guardia
Lahontan Valley News
Las Vegas Sun
Le Figaro
Le Mauricien
Le Monde
Lexington Herald-Leader
Liberation
Lincoln Journal Star
London Daily Telegraph
London Guardian
London Independent
London Register
London Sunday Telegraph
London Sunday Times
London Times
Los Angeles Daily Journal
Los Angeles Newspaper Group
Los Angeles Times
Louisville Courier-Journal
Maeil Business Newspaper
Magyar Szo
Mainichi Newspapers
Manchester Union Leader
McClatchy Newspapers
McClendon News Service
Media General News Service
Medill News Service
Megawatt Daily
Military Update
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Munwha Ilbo
Myers News Service
Nachrichten fuer Aussenhandel
National Journal News Service
National Journal's TechnologyDaily
National Post
Netherlands Press Association
Neue Zurcher Zeitung
New Haven Register
New York Daily News
New York Post
New York Times
Newhouse News Service
Newport News Daily Press
Newsday
Newspaper Enterprise Association
Nikkei
Nishi-Nippon Shimbun
Nordic Media
Northwest Newspapers
Notimex Mexican News Agency
O Estado De S. Paulo
Oil Daily
Oliphant News Service
Omaha World-Herald
Orange County Register
Orlando Sentinel
Palm Beach Post
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PlanetGov.com
Platt's Oilgram News
Polish Press Agency
Portland Press Herald
Press Trust of India
Providence Journal
Religion News Service
Restructuring Today
Reuters
Rheinische Post
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Riverside Press-Enterprise
Roll Call Report Syndicate
Rzeczpospolita
SNG Newspapers
Sabah
San Antonio Express-News
San Francisco Chronicle
Sankei Shimbun
Saudi Press Agency
Schlein News Bureau
Science and Technology Daily
Scripps Howard News Service
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Segye Times
Sekai Nippo
Seoul Shinmun
Shearer and Glen News Enterprise
Sing Tao Daily
Singapore Straits Times
Solothurner Zeitung
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Southam News of Canada
Southwest News Service
Springer Foreign News Service
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Petersburg Times
States News Service
Stuttgarter Zeitung
Suara Merdeka
Suara Pembaruan
Suddeutsche Zeitung
Svenska Dagbladet
Sydney Morning Herald
Syracuse Post-Standard
Tages Anzeiger
Taipei Times
Taiwan Liberty Times
Taz-Die Tageszeitung
Tech Law Journal
Times of India
Tokyo-Chunichi Shimbun
Toronto Globe and Mail
Tribune De Geneve
Tufty News Service
Tulsa World
Turkiye Daily
US-Asian News Service
USA Today
United Daily News
United Media
United News of India
United Press International
United States Press
Vietnam News Agency
Virginian-Pilot
Wall Street Journal
Washington Bureau News
Washington Fax
Washington Post
Washington Post-Newsbytes
Washington Telecommunications
Washington Times
WashingtonPost.com
Wen Hui Bao Daily
Westdeutsche Allgemeine
William Scally Reports
Winston-Salem Journal
World Journal
Xinhua News Agency
Yedioth Ahronoth
Yomiuri Shimbun
Yonhap News Agency

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you John, I sure will call.

[maestro]

Your#17)...............?? What do WND and Ted Maher's Family have in common??

802 days of captivity of Green Beret Vet Ted Maher. Time to put up the, "Yellow and GREEN Ribbons"!!!

Amen,.......More Grace and Mercy,.........In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen!!!

[Victoria Delsoul]

What does all this mean? In one sense, not much – WorldNetDaily will continue to expose the rampant fraud, waste, abuse and corruption in Washington, just as we have for nearly five years.

Good Job!

[Dog Gone]

World Net Daily has about as much credibility as Art Bell.

Awwwww, WND, Debka, The Onion, and the National Enquirer have all been excluded.

[B4Ranch]

Sign up for E-mail alerts from WND -- it's free

WorldNetDaily news alerts

Here is an email I received from Joseph Farah.

Can I ask a favor? If you are not already receiving free WorldNetDaily news alerts, would you mind signing up for them? It really helps us.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thank you. I already get WND.

[SusanUSA]

On the other hand, we'd rather have the same, unfettered access to our tax-supported government institutions as that which the standing committee has seen fit to give to the official Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram. We think WorldNetDaily should have at least as much access to Congress as Beijing's communist propaganda organ, Xinhua News Agency.

Can't argue with that! I'll add my e-mail to the lot. Thanks for the heads up on this.

[mrustow]

Thanks for the growl, Sabe!

I just sent the following letter to Keenan.

Dear Mr. Keenan, I am writing to you regarding the charges made by Mr. Joseph Farah, the publisher of World Net Daily, that you have for the past year refused to issue his organization press credentials. If Mr. Farah's charge is true, you are guilty of violating his First Amendment press freedom. If Mr. Farah's charge is true, I hope you will have the decency to grant WND press credentials, and then to resign. Because if Farah's charge is true, and you don't resign, you'll be the laughingstock of our nation's capitol.

[TruthNtegrity]

It has bothered me, during press conferences in the White House and the Pentagon, to hear voices with obvious accents, nevermind the dark skin - of India, Pakistan, or wherever - sitting there, asking questions of our leaders, and wondering, how on earth did these guys get there? Should they be there? And now to read that WND cannot be there, just makes me nuts.

Knowing that email is so often disregarded, I intend to write letters and put actual snail-mail stamps on them. And send FAXes. They will hear from in writing.

[Registered]

I sent mine! BUMP!!!

[Michael2001]

I just sent Joe Keenan an e-mail

[solzhenitsyn]

Thanks for the ping, JH2. Here's the email I sent.

Dear Mr. Keenan,

I am writing in reference to an article titled "The Government-Media Cabal", which was published at WorldNetDaily.com on 13 February, 2002. The article's author, Mr. Joseph Farah, complains that the Standing Committee of Correspondence has declined to grant press corps accreditation to WorldNetDaily ("WND") for over a year, and that you have given him a series of excuses that frankly seem arbitrary and implausible. In his article, Mr. Farah lists some 300 news organizations from this country and around the world that hold the accreditation denied to WND. Some of these organizations are the official mouthpieces of bloody tyrants and of regimes that hate this country and continually slander it. I do not ask that any of them be excluded from our Senate hearings; it is good that opinion-makers from around the world are able to witness democracy in action (whatever account they may give of it). All I ask is that one of America's foremost news organizations, WorldNetDaily, be granted the same access to the facilities and proceedings of our own government as the official propagandists of regimes that would love to see America destroyed.

Thank you for your kind attention.

[headsonpikes]

Pravda and Izvestia Bump! LOL!

Love your screen name!

[solzhenitsyn]

Thanks, comrade.

[LarryLied]

Thanks!