A new poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates for ScreamingMedia shows Internet users are developing more confidence and trust in the New Media.

This is bad news for the establishment press.

The nationwide poll of 1,232 adults found:

• 76 percent of Internet users said they could learn all they needed to know from the Internet if they had to go a month without reading newspapers or watching TV. Only 44 percent feel this way about newspapers and 31 percent about TV.

• 67 percent say the Internet has "the most interesting information." TV was a distant second with 18 percent.

• 65 percent say the Internet is "the easiest way to get information." TV was second with 24 percent.

• 57 percent say the Internet has "the most up-to-date information." TV was second with 29 percent.

• 51 percent say the Internet has "the most accurate information." TV was second with 21 percent.

Yet, despite these objective assessments by actual users of all media, the establishment still likes to pretend that it maintains a monopoly on truth.

A day doesn't go by any longer in which the Internet in general and this company in particular isn't attacked by self-proclaimed know-it-alls in the Old Media. At the same time, the establishment doesn't mind following our leads and picking up our stories -- generally without attribution.

No wonder the most informed people -- those who spend time on the Internet -- see through this haze.

The Internet provides a more level playing field for New Media entrepreneurs. It allows millions of people to access reports directly -- without filters, without gatekeepers, without regulations.

Certainly, the corporate establishment is not ignoring the Internet. It is investing billions in this new medium. Yet, all the money in the world isn't able to stifle the competition offered by a few in the guerrilla media.

This week, for instance, PCDataOnline released the latest statistics on Internet traffic. The top news sites in pageviews? The first six are predictable: MSNBC, CNN, USA Today, Washington Post, New York Times, ABC News.

No. 7, however, is the DrudgeReport. And No. 8 is WorldNetDaily. Nine is the Wall Street Journal. and 10 is APBNews.

These are the top Internet news sites in the world -- in any language -- based on actual impressions by actual readers.

But let me point out another important measuring criteria. Television doesn't measure audience based on people switching around the channel selector. Radio doesn't count listenership based on whether people scanning the dial occasionally reach a specific station. That's why the "stickiness" factor is so significant on the Internet.

What is stickiness? It's the length of time that users spend on a specific site.

Guess which Internet news site is No. 1 in this all-important category? That's right. WorldNetDaily. It's not even close. The average reader spends more than an hour and 22 minutes per week on WND. The average MSNBC user spends 28 minutes on that megasite during the week. Of the top 10 sites, CNN has the next best stickiness record with 35 minutes. By comparison, the average New York Times reader spends just over 10 minutes per week on the site.

Why the devotion? It's easy to understand. WorldNetDaily readers are passionate about the news service. It gives them something they can't get anywhere else -- namely fiercely independent, investigative reporting into government fraud, waste, abuse and corruption. In other words, WorldNetDaily takes seriously the old-fashioned mission of the press to serve as a watchdog on government. That's a true public service, and it's being rewarded in the marketplace with loyalty.

If this sounds like idle boasting, let me assure you it's not. In fact, we owe it all to you -- our informed, responsive and faithful readers. I want to publicly thank you for patronizing this website and validating a dream I have had for more than 20 years.

Yes, we've worked hard to bring you WorldNetDaily. We've made many sacrifices. We will continue to do so. But without you and your passion for what we do, this site would be nowhere. We don't have many friends in high places. No one has paved our path to success for us. We've had to scratch and claw and fight for every inch.

Yet, that's OK. We prefer to have friends like you -- so we can continue to zero in on corruption in high places. That's what the dotcom media revolution is all about. It's a grass-roots movement. It's a prairie fire. It's a freight train. There's no stopping it.

And we don't even need to read polls to see the handwriting on the wall.