I’m a little sad today – a little disappointed.
I launched WND 19 years ago because I saw that the American news media had lost its way – my media, the institution I had worked in for the previous 20 years. They were out of touch with mainstream America, with its values, its unique commitment to life, liberty and economic opportunity, One Nation Under God, limited government, the Constitution.
WND was the first independent online news service with its own news-gathering operation. It was the first Internet-only news service to be credentialed to cover the Congress and the White House. (It took us two years to get there, finally threatening to sue the Senate Press Gallery to break though Jackie Robinson-style for all other online news organizations.) It was the first Internet content site to dive into book publishing, in the process boasting the highest percentage of New York Times best-sellers per release of all publishers in the world. It was the first to support itself with its own online store. It was the first to spin into national syndication a string of columnists, from Bill O’Reilly to David Limbaugh to Chuck Norris to yours truly.
I could go on and on about all the ways we have broken new ground in journalism.
So why am I sad today – and a little disappointed?
Because yesterday the Pulitzer Prizes were announced for 2016 – and WND did not win, place or show after submitting our first nominations.
We weren’t alone. Only Old Media news organizations were selected for the honors, even though the public long ago began getting its news from the New Media.
I’m only a little disappointed because what happened is just what I expected.
The old institutions die hard. The good old boys’ networks don’t usually open their doors unless you knock them down.
But I’m also more than a little disappointed that the Pulitzer insiders didn’t see the value of honoring our reporting on the Miriam Carey case. Their recognition would have done something much more significant than make my day. It would have made it nearly impossible for the official cover-up and stonewalling by the most powerful people in America over the death of Miriam Carey to continue.
We’ve done our part.
We filed the Freedom of Information Act requests. We conducted the interviews. We wore out a lot of shoe leather getting the elusive facts. We even sued the Justice Department with the help of Judicial Watch. We’ve gotten more details of the case than every other news organization combined. Don’t just take my word for it – everyone agrees, from the family of Miriam Carey to the Washington Post to Mother Jones magazine to “Mr. First Amendment” Nat Hentoff who recommended we submit the series to the Pulitzer board.
No worries, though. We’re not giving up on getting all the answers. In fact, we’ve just begun. Our case against the Justice Department continues. We’re still fighting the stonewalling. A new administration will be sworn in next January. We will get to the bottom of this tragedy. Justice will be done.
There will be a book about this case this year.
There will always be next year for the Pulitzers. Our work continues.
I want to congratulate Washington bureau chief Garth Kant on his magnificent work on this investigation. He couldn’t have done any better if he were Clark Kent. I’m as proud of him as if he won the award for investigative reporting or public service. Personally, I think he was robbed.
He was robbed of an award and a little recognition for his heroic work, but Miriam Carey was robbed of her life.
And that still affects me and motivates me to press on.
Media wishing to interview Joseph Farah, please contact [email protected].
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