Topic: WorldNetDaily
Consider the wall between news and advertising at WorldNetDaily, noted as crumbling a few months back, completely obliterated.
A June 30 article headlined "Next big home-based biz opportunity?" is everything that it sounds like it will be -- a plug for "a few good partner-distributors" to operate vending machines. It's presented as any other "news" story, lacking any disclaimer of being an ad it clearly is; in fact, the top of the story calls it a "WorldNetDaily Exclusive," like its other original "news" stories do.
If WND has so few journalistic ethics as to dress up such an obvious ad in the guise of a news story, why should anyone trust anything else that passes for "news" coverage at WND as not being bought and paid for? Are conservative legal groups like Liberty Counsel and the American Center for Law and Justice paying for the fawning recycled-press-release coverage WND gives them? How about Move America Forward? Or Voice of the Martyrs?
If WND is at all interested in salvaging what little journalistic reputation it has left, it must clearly explain to its readers where the line is between news and advertising -- if, indeed, there is one at all.
Posted by Terry K.
at 12:39 AM EDT
Updated: Friday, July 1, 2005 10:54 AM EDT