As WorldNetDaily’s 27th anniversary came up in May, it sent a letter to readers signed by editor Joseph Farah that was part hagiography and part money beg:
Believe it or not, this week we are celebrating the 27th birthday of WND, which I founded way back on May 4, 1997, making it America’s oldest independent Christian online journalism organization.
And of course, launching into our 28th year, we all are hoping and praying for many more years to serve our Lord and the American people by reporting truthfully and courageously on all the critical, history-changing events now shaping our nation’s present and future.
But there’s more.
After years of being attacked nonstop from all sides – being censored and demonetized by Big Tech and Big Government, defamed and libeled by Big Media and fake “fact-check” organizations, harassed and pursued by leftist law firms, and – this takes the cake – being subjected to a unique 11-day global blacklist by Google – we’re still here! In fact, friends, we’re more than “still here.”
We’re actually thriving! For the first time in many, many years of enduring these attacks, we are actually experiencing something of a rebirth. We’re carefully and prayerfully hiring more reporters from around the country – plus two in Israel! We’re in the process of re-designing and upgrading the WND website, and we’re soon launching a major new video component to our news coverage, including a podcast. And still other projects are in the works, all designed to increase and enhance our news presentation, our reach and our influence during this intensely historic and pivotal time for America.
As pretty much the only organization that fact-checks WND these days — and there’s a lot to fact–check — we were surprised to be accused of having “defamed and libeled” it. So we wrote WND and asked for any examples of fact-checks that it thinks “defamed and libeled” it — but it never wrote back. We would also venture to note that lying to its readers on a regular basis is not very “Christian” of WND. The reference to “Big Media” appears to be an allusion to the Washington Post’s expose a few years back of bad management and financial shenanigans at WND. But WND never refuted anything the Post reported — to the contrary, it forced WND to publicly admit that Farah was out of commission at the time because he had suffered a stroke — so it has no basis to claim it was “defamed and libeled” by the article.
Farah went on to gush over how well its current Daily Caller-esque nonprofit grift is allegedly doing:
Mind you, the aforementioned attacks against us haven’t exactly stopped. No, they continue, and in some cases get worse! But what is making all the difference, what is breathing new life into our efforts to boldly proclaim the truth … is YOU.
That’s right. When Big Tech suppressed and demonetized us, thereby crushing our advertising revenue down to a tiny fraction of what it had been for many years, we went into crisis mode – cutting back our staffing levels, instituting across-the-board pay cuts and other drastic and painful survival steps.
However, before too long we decided to restructure our enterprise and transition over to a nonprofit model, creating a sister organization, the IRS-approved 501(c)3 nonprofit journalism charity called the WND News Center. (Like other journalism nonprofits, WND News Center content is made available for other qualified and approved news outlets to republish.) In a nutshell, what this change meant is that we largely abandoned the traditional advertising-based business model that had long supported internet news sites and decided to rely, instead, directly on you – our loyal readers and supporters, to keep us going.
Thus, I’m very glad and grateful to be able to report to you today that, after having been regarded as “dead and buried” by Google and the other tech titans and oligarchs, WND is not only still here, boldly proclaiming the truth as always, but is experiencing something of a renaissance.
On the other hand, WND is not so proud of this “renaissance” that it has made a point of disclosing to readers how much money the nonprofit generates or who its donors are.
After the usual airbrushed history of WND and rehashing the conspiracy theory that its support for Donald Trump led to its downfall — and not, know, its years of publishing fake news and conspiracy theories — Farah got to the money-beg part:
Dear friends, we would be grateful and honored if you chose to continue to support us with your tax- deductible donations. After all, as I said earlier, it is only your kindness and generosity toward WND that allow us to carry on. That’s the unvarnished truth.
Moreover, I’m sure you agree with me that we’re all living through an exceedingly dangerous and historic time in our nation, the outcome of which will determine what kind of country our children and grandchildren will inherit from us – the free nation our parents left us, or a totalitarian regime such as is in charge right now. Clearly, there has never been a time when a bold, truthful, God-honoring FREE PRESS has been more necessary for America’s survival.
I pray you will be inspired to join with us by making a generous tax-deductible donation to the nonprofit WND News Center. If you prefer to donate by mail, please make your check out to “WND News Center” and mail it to: WND News Center, 2020 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, #351, Washington, D.C. 20006.
Thank you so much for your past generosity, and for helping us in any way you are now moved to. And may the Good Lord bless and keep you and yours!
The problem here is that Farah has refused to change WND’s editorial model — its reliance on fake news and conspiracy theories — which means the nonprofit WND is headed for the same failure as for-profit WND did. And Farah’s insistence that WND is “truthful” despite all evidence to the contrary (Clark Jones, anyone?) is a crumbling brick in that foundation.