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WorldNetDaily

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WorldNetDaily
Type of site
Available inEnglish
Founded1997;27 years ago(1997)
OwnersWorldNetDaily, Inc.
Founder(s)Joseph Farah
EditorJoseph Farah
URLwww.wndEdit this at Wikidata

WND(formerlyWorldNetDaily) is anAmerican far-right[1]news and opinion website. It is known for promotingfake news[2]andconspiracy theories,[3]including the false claim that former President Barack Obamawas born outside the United States.[4]

The site was founded in May 1997 byJoseph Farah,who is its current editor-in-chief and CEO. The website publishes news, editorials, andopinion columns,while also aggregating content from other publications.

History[edit]

In 1997 Joseph Farah created the news website WorldNetDaily as a division of theWestern Journalism Center.It was subsequently spun off in 1999 as a for-profit organization[5]with the backing of $4.5 million from investors, Farah owning a majority of the stock. The site describes itself as "an independent news company dedicated to uncompromising journalism". In 1999, WorldNetDaily, Inc. was incorporated inDelaware[6]with offices inCave Junction,Oregon.[7]

The website gained notoriety for stoking false "birther"conspiracy theories about PresidentBarack Obama.[8]

In 2018, Farah wrote about WorldNetDaily's financial problems, saying it faced an "existential threat". Farah ceased contributing to the site after his March 12, 2019, column; the site announced a few weeks later that he had suffered a major stroke. In April 2019,The Washington Postreported thatWorldNetDailysuffered from declining revenue and diminishing readership. Farah blamed the website's financial woes on what he claimed was suppression by powerful technology companies.[8]

Application for congressional press credentials (2002)[edit]

Seeking credentials to cover theUnited States Congressin 2002, WND was opposed by theStanding Committee of Correspondents.This panel of journalists is charged by Congress with administering press credentials. Until 1996, Internet-only publications had been deemed unacceptable.[9]WNDturned to theUnited States Senate Committee on Rules and Administrationfor help, arguing that the panel's decision had violated the site's constitutional rights to due process, equal protection, and freedom of the press. Faced "with legal threats and negative publicity, the panel reversed itself, voting 3–2 to awardWNDits credentials ".[10]Shortly after, the rules were formally adjusted to clarify the participation of online publications.[11]

Ann Coulter speech at Homocon (2010)[edit]

In 2010, whenAnn Coulteraccepted an invitation to attend and speak atGOProud's Homocon 2010 convention, Farah announced the withdrawal of Coulter's name from the list of speakers at the company's 'Taking America Back' conference.[12]Coulter responded by saying that speaking engagements do not imply endorsement of the hosting organization.[citation needed]

Content[edit]

WND provides news, editorials, letters to the editor, forums, videos and conducts a daily poll. Its CEO Joseph Farah has said thatWNDprovides "the broadest spectrum of opinion anywhere in the news business", but acknowledges "some misinformation by columnists".[13]WND's content is predominantlyconservative.[14][15]Besides providing articles written by its own staff, the site links to news from other publications.

WND's political lean has been described asalt-right[16][17]andfar-right.[1]WNDis known for promotingfake news[2]andconspiracy theories,[3]including thewhite genocide conspiracy theory[18]and the false claim that former PresidentBarack Obamawas not born in the United States.[4]TheSouthern Poverty Law Center(SPLC) labelsWNDan anti-government extremist group.[19][20]

Anthony C. LoBaido commentary on September 11 attacks (2001)[edit]

On September 13, 2001,WNDpublished an opinion article by Anthony C. LoBaido regarding theSeptember 11 attackson New York City and Washington, D.C., that had occurred two days earlier. In his column, LoBaido described what he said was the moral depravity of America in general and New York in particular, asking whether "God (has) raised upShiite Islamas a sword against America ". CommentatorsVirginia PostrelofReasonmagazine andJames TarantoofThe Wall Street Journalcriticized LoBaido and Joseph Farah for the piece and called for columnistsHugh HewittandBill O'Reillyto sever their ties withWND.Founder Farah responded with his own column, saying that LoBaido's opinion piece did not reflect the viewpoint ofWND,and that it, like most other commentary pieces, had not been reviewed before publication.

Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories[edit]

A 2010 billboard displayed inSouth Gate, California,questioning thevalidity of Barack Obama's birth certificateand by extensionhis citizenship and eligibility to serve as President of the U.S.[21]The billboard was part of anadvertising campaignby WorldNetDaily, whoseURLappears on the billboard's bottom right corner.[22]

WND has published hundreds of articles promoting"birther" conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship,for which it has gained notoriety.[23]It says that Obama is not a natural-born U.S. citizen and thus is not eligible to serve as president.[24][25][26]After the2008 presidential campaign,WNDbegan an online petition to have Obama's Hawaiian birth certificate released to the public. The website also unsuccessfully urgedSupreme Courtjustices to hear several lawsuits aiming to release Obama's birth certificate. The White House released copies of the president's original long-form birth certificate on April 27, 2011.[27]After the long-form birth certificate was released, WND continued to promote its conspiracy theory, publishing an article questioning the certificate's authenticity.

[edit]

In January 2013, a WorldNetDaily article criticized aSuper Bowl XLVIIadvertisement in whichNeil Patrick Harrisworeeye blackwith "Feb 3 2013" written on it. The website accused Harris of "mocking Christianity." QuarterbackTim Tebowwas known for inscribingBibleverses with eye black to wear duringNFLgames. A similar advertisement byBeyoncéfor the Super Bowl had not been criticized.[28]In a laterTwitterpost by Harris about the Super Bowl, he used thehashtag"#noagenda".[29]

Russian interference in US politics[edit]

Further information:Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections

On August 7, 2017, WorldNetDaily published "The 8 Dirtiest Scandals ofRobert MuellerNo One Is Talking About "which was pushed out byElena Khusyaynova's operation, targeting theMueller investigation.[30]

COVID-19 misinformation[edit]

Further information:COVID-19 misinformation

In April 2020, the SPLC reported that WND "has boosted a number of articles featuringantisemiticdog whistles,fake cures and otherdisinformation"aboutCOVID-19,with headlines such as "Coronavirus is being weaponized bySoros,others behind anti-Trump ads ","Clyburn:Democrats must use Chinese virus to restructure America 'to fit our vision' "and"Newt Gingrich's question for Biden exposes Obama's undeniable role in N95 mask shortage ".[20]Another headline proclaimed that a three-drug cocktail promoted byVladimir Zelenko[31]had a "100% success" rate in treating 350 COVID-19 patients.[20]

A 2020 study by researchers fromNortheastern,Harvard,NorthwesternandRutgersuniversities found thatWNDwas among the top 5 most sharedfake news domainsin tweets related to COVID-19, the others beingThe Gateway Pundit,InfoWars,Judicial WatchandNatural News.[32]

Products[edit]

WND publishes books under the imprintWND Books.The imprint was launched in 2002.WND's imprint publishing partner was Christian publishing houseThomas Nelson Publishers(2002–2004).[33]Cumberland House Publishing (2004–2007), and conservative publisher World Ahead Publishing (2007). In 2008,WNDacquired World Ahead Media.

WND Books has published books written by right-wing politicians and pundits such asKatherine Harris,formerSecretary of State of Floridain office in 2000 during the presidential election under GovernorJeb Bush;commentatorMichael Savage;conspiracy theoristJerome Corsi;ex-congressmanTom Tancredo;and formerOhio Secretary of StateKen Blackwell.In October 2009, WND Books publishedMuslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize Americaby Paul David Gaubatz andPaul Sperry.[34]In April 2011, Paul Harris, writing forThe Guardian,describedWND Booksas "a niche producer of rightwing conspiracy theories, religious books and 'family values' tracts."[35]

WND also publishes a printed magazine,Whistleblower.It operates other companies such as theG2 Bulletin,a subscription-only website described as an "intelligence resource" for "insights into geo-political and geo-strategic developments".

The WND website also sellssurvivalist gear.[23]

Reception[edit]

The SPLC has accused WND of "peddlingwhite nationalism,"due to its publication of a series of articles on" black mob violence "by writer Colin Flaherty. It accused the website of being a source of" anti-government conspiracy theories, gay-bashing, anti-Muslim propaganda, andEnd Timesprophecy ".[36]

In a relatedHuffPostarticle, Terry Krepel of ConWebWatch states WND tried to "cash in onPaula Deen's racism ".[37]

Litigation[edit]

Clark Jones libel lawsuit (2000–2008)[edit]

On September 20, 2000, WND published an article saying that Clark Jones, aSavannah, Tennesseecar dealer, a fund-raiser for then-Vice PresidentAl Gorein his presidential campaign, had interfered with a criminal investigation, had been a "subject" of a criminal investigation, and was listed on law enforcement computers as a "dope dealer." It implied that he had ties to others involved in alleged criminal activity. The authors later put forward the theory that the publication of this article, as well as otherWNDarticles that were critical of Gore, contributed significantly to Gore losing his home state of Tennessee that November.

In 2001, Clark Jones filed alawsuitagainst WND; the reporters, Charles C. Thompson II and Tony Hays; theCenter for Public Integrity,which had underwritten Thompson and Hays' reporting on the article and related ones; and various Tennessee publications and broadcasters whom he accused of repeating the claim, arguing these entities had committed libel anddefamation.[38][39]The lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial in March 2008; but, on February 13, 2008, WND announced that a confidential out-of-court settlement had been reached with Jones. A settlement statement jointly drafted by all parties in the lawsuit stated that aFreedom of Information Actrequest showed that the allegations had been false, and that WND had misquoted sources.

Staff[edit]

Notable staff members include Jerusalem Bureau ChiefAaron Klein,former White House correspondentLester Kinsolving,Ohio State Senate Senior Press Secretary Garth Kant,[40]and staff writerJerome Corsi.Its commentary pages feature editorials by the site's founderJoseph Farah,as well as by commentators including 2016 Republican presidential candidateBen Carson,Pat Buchanan,Ann Coulter,David Limbaugh,Chuck Norris,Walter E. Williams,Ilana Mercer,Bill Press,andNat Hentoff.

In February 2020,Right Wing Watchreported that Michael J. Thompson, who worked in WND's marketing department, had also worked atwhite nationalistpublications such asVDAREandAmerican Renaissanceunder the pseudonym of "Paul Kersey". It found that his position atWNDallowed him to move in professional circles that included white nationalists, writers atBreitbart NewsandThe Daily Caller,and prominent Trump supporters such asSteve BannonandJack Posobiec.[41][42]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcSources describingWorldNetDailyas far-right:
    • Massing, Michael (February 2009)."Un-American".Columbia Journalism Review.Far-right Web sites like World Net Daily and Newsmax floated all kinds of specious stories about Obama that quickly careened around the blogosphere and onto talk radio.
    • Sullivan, Andrew (September 6, 2009)."Obama's in the ER but he'll get his reforms".The Sunday Times.ISSN0956-1382.One of the most popular far-right websites, WorldNetDaily
    • "WorldNetDaily".Southern Poverty Law Center. n.d.RetrievedJanuary 15,2023.
    • Bruno, Debra; Bruno, Debra (February 21, 2016)."There's the major media. And then there's the 'other' White House press corps".The Washington Post.Les Kinsolving, a reporter for the far-right World Net Daily, was a familiar White House gadfly from the days of the Nixon administration on.
    • "Our Politics Enables Donald Trump to Lie and Get Away With It".The New York Observer.April 15, 2016.This isolates conservative news seekers to Fox News, conservative talk radio, Breitbart, or even websites further out on the fringe such as World Net Daily.
    • Kestenbaum, Sam (March 15, 2017)."Trump's White House Welcomes 5 New Far-Right Figures".The Forward.A handful of new White House hires have ties to Breitbart and to a similar far-right website, World Net Daily.
    • Marcotte, Amanda (April 5, 2019)."Shed a tear for WorldNetDaily — or maybe don't. But the downfall of a far-right site is instructive".Salon.RetrievedJuly 31,2022.
    • Mackey, Robert (August 15, 2020)."White House Plants Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theorists Among Reporters in Briefing Room".The Intercept.RetrievedJuly 30,2022.... Powe is a former blogger for WorldNetDaily, the far-right website that helped create the racist 'birther' conspiracy theory to undermine President Barack Obama.
    • Perry, Samuel (October 12, 2020)."Evangelical leaders like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell Sr. have long talked of conspiracies against God's chosen – those ideas are finding resonance today".The Conversation.WND is a far-right website that entered the mainstream during President Obama's presidency. The website was a hub for the birther conspiracy.
  2. ^abcSources describingWorldNetDailyas a fake news website:
  3. ^abSources describingWorldNetDaily's publication of conspiracy theories:
  4. ^abSources describingWorldNetDaily's promotion ofBarack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories:
  5. ^Foley, Jordan M. (September 13, 2020)."Press Credentials and Hybrid Boundary Zones: The Case of WorldNetDaily and the Standing Committee of Correspondents"(PDF).Journalism Practice.14(8): 9–10.doi:10.1080/17512786.2019.1671214.ISSN1751-2794.S2CID210645440.RetrievedOctober 9,2020– via Jordan M. Foley.
  6. ^Farah, Joseph (October 1, 1999)."World's 'No. 1 website' goes for-profit".WorldNetDaily.McLean, Virginia. Archived fromthe originalon June 6, 2011.RetrievedMay 25,2011.Beginning today, WorldNetDaily, voted the most popular website on the Internet the last 23 weeks, is officially a for-profit corporation...
  7. ^Black, Jane (August 27, 2001)."On the Web, Small and Focused Pays Off".BusinessWeek.New York. Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2001.RetrievedNovember 4,2006.
  8. ^abRoig-Franzia, Manuel (April 2, 2019)."Inside the spectacular fall of the granddaddy of right-wing conspiracy sites".The Washington Post.
  9. ^Heaney, Michael T (2008),"Blogging Congress: Technological Change and the Politics of the Congressional Press Galleries"(PDF),PS: Political Science & Politics,41(2): 422–426,doi:10.1017/S1049096508290670,ISSN1049-0965,S2CID154642023,archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 2, 2012,retrievedJuly 7,2010.
  10. ^Walker, Jesse(November 2002),"Galley gatekeepers: the politics of press credentials – Citings",Reason,archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2012.
  11. ^Thompson, Mark (April 22, 2004),"New Media Often Takes Back Seat to Old Media on Press Credentials",Online Journalism Review.
  12. ^Smith, Ben (August 18, 2010)."WorldNet dumps 'right-wing Judy Garland' Coulter over gay event".Politico.RetrievedJuly 30,2015.
  13. ^Elliot, Justin (April 13, 2011)."Right-wing publisher: We run" some misinformation "".Salon.Archived fromthe originalon September 3, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 13,2015.
  14. ^Burns, John F. (May 5, 2009)."Britain Identifies 16 Barred From Entering U.K.".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 26,2010.according to WorldNetDaily, a conservative Web site.
  15. ^Sullivan, Gail (August 5, 2014)."Celebrities get nasty over Gaza and Israel".The Washington Post.RetrievedJuly 30,2015.
  16. ^Blake, Aaron (December 1, 2016)."Introducing the 'alt-left': The GOP's response to its alt-right problem".The Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.RetrievedMay 29,2022.It started with alt-right websites like World Net Daily
  17. ^Fuchs, Christian(July 20, 2020)."Towards a critical theory of communication as renewal and update of Marxist humanism in the age of digital capitalism".Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour.50(3): 335–356.doi:10.1111/jtsb.12247.ISSN0021-8308.S2CID225578399.Examples of alt-right websites are Breitbart, Drudge Report, InfoWars, Daily Caller, Daily Wire, and WorldNetDaily.
  18. ^Gedye, Lloyd (March 23, 2018)."White genocide: How the big lie spread to the US and beyond".The Mail & Guardian.RetrievedNovember 21,2022.
  19. ^"WorldNetDaily".Southern Poverty Law Center. n.d.RetrievedJanuary 15,2023.WorldNetDaily is an online publication founded and run by Joseph Farah that claims to pursue truth, justice and liberty. But in fact, its pages are devoted to manipulative fear-mongering and outright fabrications designed to further the paranoid, gay-hating, conspiratorial and apocalyptic visions of Farah and his hand-picked contributors [...]
  20. ^abcGais, Hannah (April 17, 2020)."Hate Groups and Racist Pundits Spew COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media Despite Companies' Pledges to Combat It".Southern Poverty Law Center.RetrievedOctober 2,2022.
  21. ^Farley, Robert (July 28, 2009)."White House spokesman Robert Gibbs 'lied' when he said President Obama's birth certificate is posted on the Internet".Politifact.The St. Petersburg Times.RetrievedJanuary 15,2023.
  22. ^"Grass roots sign onto eligibility billboard campaign".WorldNetDaily.June 12, 2009.RetrievedApril 30,2011.
  23. ^abDougherty, Michael Brendan."Conservative Radio Host Says Andrew Breitbart Might Have Been Assassinated".Business Insider.RetrievedFebruary 17,2017.The report comes from WorldNetDaily, a right-wing website that periodically promotes conspiracy theories about Obama's birth certificate.
  24. ^Stetler, Brian (April 27, 2011)."In Trying to Debunk a Theory, the News Media Extended Its Life".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 18,2013.
  25. ^Isikoff, Michael (April 27, 2011)."Publisher of upcoming 'birther' book makes no apologies".NBC News.RetrievedNovember 18,2013.
  26. ^Page, Susan; Kucinich, Jackie (April 28, 2011)."Obama releases long-form birth certificate".USA Today.RetrievedNovember 18,2013.Joseph Farah, CEO of the conservative website WorldNetDaily and publisher of a new book that investigates whether Obama is eligible to be president, says the issue isn't over.
  27. ^"Obama releases original long-form birth certificate".CNN.RetrievedJuly 28,2015.
  28. ^"Does Neil Patrick Harris' Super Bowl ad mock Christianity and Tim Tebow?".United Press International.January 8, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 15,2023.
  29. ^"Neil Patrick Harris' Super Bowl Ad Slammed For 'Pushing Gay Agenda' On CBS".HuffPost.January 7, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 15,2023.
  30. ^Williams, Pete; Tom Winter (October 19, 2018)."Russian woman charged with attempted meddling in upcoming U.S. midterms: Elena Khusyaynova works for a company owned by a Putin pal who has already been indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller's team".NBCNews.RetrievedOctober 29,2018.
  31. ^Roose, Kevin; Rosenberg, Matthew (April 2, 2020)."Touting Virus Cure, 'Simple Country Doctor' Becomes a Right-Wing Star".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedOctober 2,2022.
  32. ^Owen, Laura Hazard (October 26, 2020)."Older people and Republicans are most likely to share Covid-19 stories from fake news sites on Twitter".Nieman Lab.RetrievedMay 29,2022.
  33. ^"Thomas Nelson Launches Political Imprint".The Write News.RetrievedNovember 18,2006.
  34. ^Gaubatz, P. David; Sperry, Paul E. (2009).Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America.WND Books.ISBN9781935071105.
  35. ^Harris, Paul (April 21, 2011)."The born-again birther debate".The Guardian.London, England.RetrievedMay 2,2011.
  36. ^Nelson, Leah (October 23, 2012)."WorldNetDaily Now Peddling White Nationalism".Southern Poverty Law Center.RetrievedSeptember 13,2015.
  37. ^Krepel, Terry (September 14, 2012)."WorldNetDaily Tries to Cash in on Paula Deen's Racism".The Huffington Post.RetrievedSeptember 13,2015.
  38. ^Gordon, J. Houston; Hopper, Curtis F. (December 20, 2004)."Second Amended Complaint"(PDF).RetrievedNovember 18,2013.
  39. ^Jones v. WorldNetDaily(Tenn. Cir. (Hardin); Tenn. App.; Tenn. April 2001) ( "The parties settled out of court for an undisclosed sum in 2008." ),Text.
  40. ^Bischoff, Laura A. (September 29, 2023)."Ohio Senate Republicans start website to push back on perceived liberal bias".The Columbus Dispatch.RetrievedJanuary 16,2024.
  41. ^Wilson, Jason (February 3, 2020)."White nationalist has long worked at conservative outlets under real name".The Guardian.RetrievedJune 28,2022.
  42. ^Holt, Jared (February 3, 2020)."Hiding in Plain Sight: The White Nationalist Who Toiled Inside a Right-Wing Media Powerhouse".Right Wing Watch.RetrievedJune 28,2022.

External links[edit]

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