'Is the real news dead?'

WND managing editor and veteran newsman David Kupelian will be among the speakers at a two-day international conference next week on the future of the press, titled "Is The (Real) News Dead?"

Organized by the American Freedom Alliance, the conference will be held June 13-14 at Pepperdine University at its Malibu, California, campus.

The AFA, under its executive director Avi Davis, is a "non-political, non-aligned movement which promotes, defends and upholds Western values and ideals." It does so by sponsoring conferences and publishing works that "identify threats to Western civilization and organizes citizens on those causes," including the Islamic penetration of Europe, threats to academic freedom, media bias, radical environmentalism and the dangers of a global governance, among others.

In introducing its "Is The (Real) News Dead" conference, AFA notes on the event's website: "In recent years we have witnessed a rapid transformation in the media as the Internet and its many news sources have muscled in on the territory of traditional vehicles of communication."

That ongoing struggle, it says, "raises important questions about the future of the news and the role the media plays in our lives. Who, today, controls the traditional media and who will control the alternative media in the future? What, if any, is their agenda? What are our news services' priorities and is providing fair, balanced and accurate news coverage one of them?"

Find out more about the conference or register to attend!

Kupelian, an award-winning journalist, is the author of the best-selling culture-war classic "The
Marketing of Evil" as well as its just-released sequel, "How
Evil Works." Serving as managing editor of WorldNetDaily since 1999, he is also a widely read online columnist and editor of the monthly news magazine Whistleblower.

He will be joined by speakers including:

Owen Brennan, executive producer for PJTV, which broadcasts from Los Angeles. Prevoiusly he was a producer for Bill O'Reilly and helped launch "Scarborough Country."
Yaron Brook, president and executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute and a regular contributor to Forbes.com.
Rick Calvert, the CEO of BlogWorld & New Media Expo, the world's biggest social media event.
Craig Detweiler, the director of the new Center for Entertainment, Media and Culture at Pepperdine University. His cultural commentary has been on ABC, CNN, Fox News and others.
Leon De Winter, a contemporary Dutch writer and producer and outspoken critic of what he believes to be Europe's appeasement of Muslim militancy.
Ed Driscoll, producer for PJM Political and Silicon Graffiti.
Tim Groseclose, the Marvin Hoffenberg professor of American Politics at UCLA. His research focuses on Congress and media bias.
Stephen Green, who launched VodkaPundit and serves as PJTV Denver Editor.
Larry Greenfield, the executive director of the Reagan Legacy Foundation and a senior fellow of the Claremont Institute.
Hugh Hewitt, whose nationally syndicated talk radio show is heard in more than 100 cities.
Michael Ledeen, the Freedom Scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a contributing editor at National Review Online.
Andrea Levin, president of the CAMERA media watchdog. She writes and lecures on media coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Michael Moynihan, the senior editor of Reason magqazine and commentator in the Swedish media.

Held June 13-14 at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., the conference will explore cutting-edge topics like "Are News Organizations in Crisis?" "The collapse of the major dailies – did they have it coming?" "What is the power of the Internet to change our views and opinions?" "What responsibility does the press have to national security?" and "Who are the new media moguls?"

"Anyone seeking answers to questions about the media, its role in our lives and its future trajectory will enjoy this conference," said the AFA, "and emerge from it far better informed about the many challenges which confront the continued delivery of accurate, fair and verifiable news in our society."

Register or find out more about the conference here!