Western Journalism Center

The Western Journalism Center (also called the Western Center for Journalism) was co-founded by Joseph Farah and James H. Smith, the "former publisher of the Sacramento Union (and former CEO and publisher of the revived Sacramento Union operation)."

Staff
The Center is currently headed by conservative political operative Floyd G. Brown.

Also on staff is Caleb Heimlich, Director of Programs.

Funding
From 1997 to 2002, the Western Journalism Center received $150,000 from the William H. Donner Foundation, $25,000 from the Armstrong Foundation , $98,500 from the Castle Rock Foundation , and $3,000 from the Roe Foundation.

Background
"The center provided Christopher Ruddy with 'additional expense money, funding for Freedom of Information Act requests, legal support and publicity' during his investigation of the death of Vince Foster while working as a reporter for the New York Post and the Scaife-owned Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. This included buying full-page ads in major newspapers reproducing Ruddy's work and co-producing a video about the Foster investigation with Ruddy. The center accepted $330,000 in donations from Scaife-connected foundations in 1994-95. The center has been involved in an ongoing lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over a tax audit it alleges was politically motivated. Farah is, like [Brent] Bozell, also a member of the secretive Council for National Policy," ConWebWatch reported.

In March 2009, the Center sent out an email to conservatives promoting conspiracy theories regarding Barack Obama's citizenship.

WorldNetDaily
WorldNetDaily was "started in May 1997 as a project of the Western Journalism Center. WorldNetDaily describes itself as 'a fiercely independent newssite committed to hard-hitting investigative reporting of government waste, fraud and abuse.' WorldNetDaily.com, Inc., headquartered in Cave Junction, Ore., but incorporated in Delaware, was spun off in 1999 as a for-profit subsidiary of the non-profit Western Journalism Center with the backing of $4.5 million from investors. Farah and the Western Journalism Center own a majority of WND, according to Farah; the rest of the stock is owned by about 75 private investors," ConWebWatch reported.

Contact
Western Center for Journalism 4109 Bridgeport Way Ste. E-2 University Place WA, 98466 Phone: 202.370.6366 Website: http://www.westernjournalism.com/

External articles

 * Western Journalism Center website
 * "The ConWebWatch Primer. Who's behind the conservative news sites that ConWebWatch watches?".