Here’s a quick media quiz.
Question: Which reporter was it that discovered and first reported that Barack Obama’s so-called “executive order” on amnesty wasn’t an executive order at all, wasn’t signed by Obama and wasn’t recorded in the Federal Register as required by the administration’s own rules – thus leading to a federal judge challenging the entire procedure?
Answer: No, it wasn’t Brian Williams, though he might claim the honor if he were still on the air. No, it wasn’t anyone at Fox News, though the network did report the fact without credit to the original source. No, it wasn’t the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal or any other establishment media agency.
It was WND senior staff writer Jerome Corsi, a two-time No. 1 New York Times best-selling author, who reported Dec. 3, 2014, that the so-called “executive order” simply did not exist as such, directly leading to the ruling by U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen temporarily, at least, halting Obama’s amnesty initiative.
Question: Which news agency, of all of them in the world – state, national and local – first reported Judge Hanen’s landmark ruling?
Answer: It wasn’t Brian Williams who wasn’t even on the air. It wasn’t Fox News or even a local news agency with connections to the judge. It wasn’t any of the big, establishment news agencies.
It was, once again, WND whose news team scrambled to break the story a full 20 minutes to an hour before any other news organization, complete with excerpts from the decision.
Question: Which news agency and which reporter uncovered the massive money-laundering operation for drug dealers and terrorists at mega-bank HSBC, which has now tied to the confirmation hearings for Loretta Lynch, Obama’s nominee to succeed Eric Holder as attorney general, who was in charge of the investigation that resulted in no criminal charges, no firings of officials and no meetings with the whistleblower who was fired for his efforts?
Answer: That’s right, it wasn’t Brian Williams. It wasn’t any of the world’s renowned financial reporters. It wasn’t any of the big, establishment news agencies.
It was, once again, Corsi and WND, who scooped the world with a series of stories in 2012 that had significant consequences for both the reporter and news agency. Corsi, who moonlighted as a financial adviser for a New York bank, was let go as a direct result of his investigation. And HSBC targeted WND by using its power and influence with upstream Internet providers to launch a denial of service attack that lasted several hours before the news agency was able to intercede and restore service.
I tell you about these scoops not because they are the only ones for which Corsi and WND have been responsible over many years. In fact, you can see the hundreds of major stories WND has broken over 18 years here. I tell you because these two stories are dominating the news right now – and not one other news agency has even mentioned who was responsible.
This, despite the fact that Corsi and WND have continued to lead the coverage of the Loretta Lynch nomination and her ties to the HSBC scandal.
You know what? That stinks!
This is not the way journalism was played for my first 20 years in the business. Competition is one thing. But what’s wrong with an occasional hat tip for a job well done?
If no one else will point it out, I will.
Good journalism should be rewarded – just as bad journalism should be punished.
It’s been this way throughout WND’s first 18 years. Some competitors don’t like the fact that we were the first independent news agency on the Internet. Some competitors don’t like that we are fearless in our pursuit of truth. Some competitors just don’t like that we are dedicated to the central role of a free press in a free society – serving as a watchdog on government corruption, fraud, waste and abuse.
But with all the noise out there in the world of online content, you need to be discerning about who is doing real, meaningful reporting and who is not.
If no one else will tip their hat to the WND team, I’m proud and unashamed to do it myself.
Media wishing to interview Joseph Farah, please contact [email protected].
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