White House correspondents snub WND

The White House Correspondents' Association has snubbed WorldNetDaily, the leading independent news site on the Web, by allocating only two seats at the organization's annual black-tie dinner on May 1 to WND even though WND requested and paid for three tables.

In the past, WND has been afforded one table. This year WND asked for three and paid the full price in advance. According to Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer, WND was the first news organization to respond the day the tickets went on sale.

The new service's check for $6,600 was cashed, and then the correspondents' association offered two seats for the dinner.

Ed Chen, president of the association, returned a call WND made requesting comment and said, "Well, basically a number of factors go into this. The demand has never been greater and almost nobody, individual or organization, can get more than what they had last year."

But he then got upset about the fact WND was reporting on the conflict and hung up on a reporter.

Joseph Farah confirmed WND has engaged legendary Washington attorney Larry Klayman to file legal action, if necessary, to challenge the decision, since other news organizations have been afforded as many as eight tables, seating 10 each, for past dinners.

"The conduct of the White House Correspondents' Association would appear to a neutral observer to be a hit by the Obama White House using WCHA against WorldNetDaily," Klayman said.

He cited WND's diligent reporting on the failings of the Obama administration as well as its extensive coverage of the numerous lawsuits questioning Obama's eligibility for office because of the Constitution's requirement that a president be a "natural born citizen."

On its commentary pages, WND has carried numerous criticisms of Obama and his plans.

"We've been through this kind of treatment by the Washington press corps in the past," said Joseph Farah. "We've grown to expect it, despite the fact that we are the oldest independent online news source on the Net, despite the fact that our White House press correspondent is the third most veteran member of those covering the White House and despite the fact that we always play by the rules."

Farah said the White House press corps and the correspondent association have shown nothing but antipathy for New Media enterprises like WND in general and even more disdain for those who subscribe to the traditional role of the American press as a vigorous watchdog on government.

Dating back to February 2002, WND was denied accreditation to the Senate Press Gallery for routine access to cover the Capitol. Ten days after WND threatened legal action against individual members of the Senate Press Gallery, WND was granted accreditation in September 2002.

This year, WND planned to debut a book about its White House press correspondent, Les Kinsolving, at the dinner, where Barack Obama will be the headliner. Kinsolving has served as a White House press correspondent since the Nixon administration, but, as Farah explains, is still treated with "disdain and contempt" by his colleagues and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs – frequently being snubbed for questions while other correspondents are given multiple opportunities to grill him.

"This is an illustration of what some call the 'government-media complex' or the 'state-sponsored media,'" says Farah. "It's one thing when you have to battle government secrecy and corruption, which we expect to do as part of our jobs as newsmen. It's another thing when you have to battle your own colleagues who act like self-appointed press cops, blocking independent media from doing the job they refuse to do."

The correspondents' group explains on its website that it "represents the White House press corps in its dealings with the administration on coverage-related issues."

An elected board of directors addresses issues of access to the president, work space arrangements, logistics and costs for press travel to travel with the president.

Listed on the website as board members are Doug Mills of the New York Times, Steve Scully of C-SPAN, Don Gonyea of National Public Radio, Julie Mason of the DC Examiner and Caren Bohan of Reuters.

Jay Leno is scheduled to be a featured speaker at the May 1 event, and the group announced it is going green for the first time: "The association is taking action to reduce the carbon impact of its annual black-tie gala; these actions include using as much as possible renewable energy for the event, paper products, supplies and services that reduce the threat of global warming, deforestation, toxic wastes, hazardous chemicals and species extinction."