Matt Drudge

Last updated

Matt Drudge
Matt Drudge 1996 (cropped).jpg
Drudge in 1996
Born
Matthew Nathan Drudge

(1966-10-27) October 27, 1966 (age 58)
Takoma Park, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation(s)Political commentator, news editor
Known forReporting political scandals, creating the Drudge Report

Matthew Nathan Drudge (born October 27, 1966) is an American journalist and the creator/editor of the Drudge Report, an American news aggregator. Drudge is also an author and a former radio and television show host. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Drudge was raised in Takoma Park, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. [2] His father, Robert Drudge, a former social worker, [2] and his mother [1] divorced when he was six. Drudge went to live with his mother. [2] He had few friends and was an avid news reader and radio talk show fan. [2] [3] Drudge graduated 341st out of a high school class of 355. [4] In his book Drudge Manifesto , Drudge says that he "failed his Bar Mitzvah". [2]

Career

Drudge Report

Drudge was unknown before he began the news aggregation site, the Drudge Report. [5] For many years, he took odd jobs such as night counterman at a 7-Eleven convenience store, telemarketer for Time-Life books, McDonald's manager, and sales assistant at a New York City grocery store. In 1989, he moved to Los Angeles, where he took up residence in a small Hollywood apartment. He took a job in the gift shop of CBS studios, eventually working his way up to manager. Here, he was apparently privy to some inside gossip, part of the inspiration for founding the Drudge Report. Worried about his son's aimlessness, Drudge's father insisted on buying him a Packard Bell computer in 1994. [1] The Drudge Report began as email notes sent out to a few friends.

The original issues were part gossip and part opinion. They were distributed as an email newsletter and posted to alt.showbiz.gossip Usenet forum. In 1996, the newsletter transitioned slowly from entertainment gossip to political gossip and moved from email to the Web as its primary distribution mechanism.

In March 1995, the Drudge Report had 1,000 email subscribers; by 1997, Drudge had 85,000 subscribers to his email service. Drudge's website gained in popularity in the late 1990s when he reported a number of stories before the mainstream media. Drudge first received national attention in 1996 when he broke the news that Jack Kemp would be Republican Bob Dole's running mate in the 1996 presidential election. In 1998, he gained popularity when he published the reporting of then- Newsweek reporter Michael Isikoff, becoming the first media outlet to publish the news that later became the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal. [6]

Drudge met Andrew Breitbart in Los Angeles during the 1990s and became his mentor, with Breitbart later helping to run the Drudge Report. [7] [8] Breitbart announced in 2005 that he was "amicably leaving the Drudge Report after a long and close working relationship with Matt Drudge", but still helped run Drudge's website from Los Angeles by working the afternoon shift, in addition to running Breitbart . [9] [10] [11]

A story by Business 2.0 magazine from April 2003 estimated that Drudge's website received $3,500 a day (almost $1.3 million a year) in advertising revenues. Subtracting his relatively minor server costs, the magazine estimated that the Drudge Report website netted $800,000 a year. [12] An article in The Miami Herald from September 2003 said that Drudge estimated he earns $1.2 million a year from his website and radio show. During an April 30, 2004 appearance on C-SPAN, he confirmed that he earns over $1 million.

For many years, Drudge was based out of his one-bedroom apartment in Hollywood. Today, he maintains the website from his two properties in Miami, Florida. [1] [7] In updating the site, he reportedly monitors multiple television news channels and a number of websites on several computers in his home office. [13]

Fox News television show

From June 1998 to November 1999, Drudge hosted a Saturday night television show called Drudge on the Fox News Channel. The show ended by mutual agreement. Drudge had refused to go on air, charging Fox News with censorship when the network prevented him from showing photos of surgery on Samuel Armas. Drudge, who opposes abortion, wanted to use a picture of a tiny hand reaching out from the womb to dramatize his argument against late-term abortion, but Fox's John Moody decided that that would be misleading because the photo was not of an abortion but an emergency operation on the fetus for spina bifida. [14] Fox News alleged breach of contract but, after Drudge issued an apology, [15] Fox issued a statement calling the parting "amicable". [15]

Radio talk show

Drudge hosted a Sunday night talk radio show – "the only time anyone will let me on the air", he quipped. The show, which was also named the Drudge Report, was syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. He guest hosted for the conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Drudge gained notice in the early 2000s by becoming a frequent reference for news material on Limbaugh's, Sean Hannity's, and Mark Levin's radio shows. He was often acknowledged by Michael Savage as a source of topics for The Savage Nation . Lynn Samuels, for a time, served as Drudge's call screener.

Drudge left his position as radio host with Premiere effective September 30, 2007. He was replaced by Cincinnati radio station WLW's Bill Cunningham on the network and in most markets, [16] though in a few larger markets, John Batchelor replaced him instead.

Books

The Drudge Revolution: The Inside Story of How Talk Radio, Fox News, and a Gift Shop Clerk with an Internet Connection Took Down the Mainstream Media was published on July 28, 2020. The book's author, Matthew Lysiak, interviewed over 200 former friends and associates, including former Drudge Report editor Joseph Curl.

Drudge wrote a book with Julia Phillips in 2000 titled Drudge Manifesto, which reached the New York Times Best Seller list. [17] [18] The book features a transcript of a Q&A session conducted at the National Press Club on June 2, 1998, which lays out Drudge's raison d'être . It also contains copies of emails sent to Drudge by his readers, transcripts of Drudge talking to his cat, and extensive descriptions of parties Drudge has attended and how the celebrities there reacted to him. A review in The Washington Post said: "Indeed, while Drudge Manifesto runs 247 pages ... Which leaves, in the end, 112 pages of new material, including nine pages of poetry." [19] [20] A review from the Columbia Journalism Review stated: "By any standard, Drudge's book is padded", and: "It is a weird, stream-of-conscious mixture of telling readers how he got his stories and mocking his critics."

Influence

In 2024, Drudge was named Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media. Mediaite stated, “Drudge will remain a dominant player – and potentially painful thorn in Trump’s side – for the next four years." [21]

In the 2020 book Drudge Revolution, author Matthew Lysiak describes how every major presidential campaign dating back to the late 90s had a staffer whose responsibility was to make a connection and potentially influence Drudge.[ citation needed ] Ahead of the 2008 Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton communication director Tracy Sefl befriended Drudge, a relationship which she describes in the book as "scary" due to the power of the Drudge Report.[ citation needed ]

In their 2006 book The Way to Win, Mark Halperin and John Harris report that Republican National Convention chairman Ken Mehlman "kind of brags" (as then-CNN host Howard Kurtz put it) about utilizing the Drudge channel. [22] They also wrote that "Drudge, with his droll Dickensian name, was not the only media or political agent whose actions led to John Kerry's defeat. But his role placed him at the center of the game." [23]

In 2006, Time named Drudge one of the 100 most influential people in the world, [24] describing the Drudge Report as "a ludicrous combination of gossip, political intrigue and extreme weather reports ... still put together mostly by the guy who started out as a convenience-store clerk."

ABC News concluded that the Drudge Report sets the tone for national political coverage. [25] The article says "Republican operatives keep an open line to Drudge, often using him to attack their opponents."

In October 2006, Washington Post editor Len Downie, speaking at the Online News Association's annual convention in Washington, D.C., said, "Our largest driver of traffic is Matt Drudge." [26]

On October 22, 2007, New York Times reporter Jim Rutenberg wrote that Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, including Hillary Clinton, were cooperating with Drudge and "working harder than ever to get favorable coverage for their candidates – or unfavorable coverage of competitors – onto the Drudge Report's home page, knowing that television producers, radio talk show hosts and newspaper reporters view it as a bulletin board for the latest news and gossip." [27] Rutenberg stated that Nielsen/NetRatings show that the Drudge Report gets three million unique visitors over the course of a month, or approximately one percent of the population of the United States.

During the 2012 Republican presidential primaries, Drudge was described by some, including former presidential candidate Fred Thompson, as having a pro-Mitt Romney slant. [28]

Personal life

Drudge previously lived in Hollywood, California. As of 2007, he owned two properties in Miami, Florida – a $1.4 million Mediterranean-style stucco house on Rivo Alto Island [1] and a $1 million-plus condominium in Miami's Four Seasons hotel. [7] By early 2009, Drudge earned millions of dollars a year, traveled extensively, and moved to another property in Miami. In 2003, he said his one indulgence, apart from travel, was his Corvette. [29]

Political views

In every state and nearly every civilized nation in the developed world, readers know where to go for action and reaction of news – at least one day ahead... Free from any corporate concerns, there are simply too many to thank since the site's inception in 1994. This new attempt at the old American experiment of full freedom in reporting is ever exciting. Those in power have everything to lose by individuals who march to their own rules.

 –The Drudge Report, Matt Drudge, on reaching one billion page views, 2002 [30]

The Daily Telegraph has described Drudge as a conservative populist. [31] In 1998, Drudge claimed that his politics are "libertarian except for drugs and abortion". [32] In 2001, he told the Miami New Times : "I am a conservative. I'm very much pro-life. If you go down the list of what makes up a conservative, I'm there almost all the way." [33] In 2002, he described himself as "Free from any Corporate Concerns". [30] In a 2005 interview with The Sunday Times , Drudge described his politics: "I'm not a right-wing Republican. I'm a conservative and want to pay less taxes. And I did vote Republican at the last election. But I'm more of a populist." [34]

Comments by journalists

Drudge has been called "the Walter Cronkite of his era" by Mark Halperin and John F. Harris, [23] and "the country's reigning mischief-maker" by Todd Purdum of The New York Times. [35] Michael Isikoff of Newsweek said "Drudge is a menace to honest, responsible journalism. And to the extent that he's read and people believe what they read, he's dangerous." [36] Camille Paglia called Drudge "the kind of bold, entrepreneurial, free-wheeling, information-oriented outsider we need far more of in this country." [37] David McClintick described him as "a modern Tom Paine, a possible precursor to millions of town criers using the Internet to invade the turf of bigfoot journalists." [38]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drudge Report</span> American news aggregation website

The Drudge Report is an American-based news aggregation website founded by Matt Drudge, and run with the help of Charles Hurt and Daniel Halper. The site prior to the 2020 United States presidential election was generally regarded as a conservative publication, but its ownership and political leanings have been questioned following business model changes in mid-to-late 2019. The site consists mainly of links to news stories from other outlets about politics, entertainment, and current events; it also has links to many columnists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Hannity</span> American television host and political commentator (born 1961)

Sean Patrick Hannity is an American conservative television presenter, broadcaster and writer. He hosts The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show, has hosted a self-titled political commentary program on Fox News since 2009, and co-hosted the original Fox News debate show Hannity & Colmes with Alan Colmes from the network's founding in 1996 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Scarborough</span> American television host and politician (born 1963)

Charles Joseph Scarborough is an American television host and former politician who is the co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC with his wife Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. He previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same network. A former member of the Republican Party, Scarborough was in the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 1st district from 1995 to 2001. He was appointed to the President's Council on the 21st Century Workforce in 2002 and was a visiting fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He was named in the 2011 Time 100 as one of the most influential people in the world.

Premiere Networks, Inc. is an American media company, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original radio content distribution and production arm. It is the largest syndication company in the United States. Founded independently in 1987, it is headed by Julie Talbott, who serves as president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Taibbi</span> American author and journalist (born 1970)

Matthew Colin Taibbi is an American author, journalist and podcaster. A former contributing editor for Rolling Stone, he is the author of several books and publisher of Racket News on Substack. He has reported on finance, media, politics and sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Breitbart</span> American conservative writer and publisher (1969–2012)

Andrew James Breitbart was an American conservative journalist and political commentator who was the founder of Breitbart News and a co-founder of HuffPost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Abrams</span> American entrepreneur, television host, and lawyer (born 1966)

Daniel Abrams is an American media entrepreneur, television host, and author. He is currently the host of On Patrol: Live on Reelz, and The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets The Law on SiriusXM's P.O.T.U.S. channel. He is also the Chief Legal Analyst of ABC News. In 2021, he became the host of the primetime show Dan Abrams Live on NewsNation, which will have its last episode in February 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Tapper</span> American journalist (born 1969)

Jacob Paul Tapper is an American journalist. He is the lead Washington anchor for CNN, hosts the weekday television news show The Lead with Jake Tapper, and co-hosts the Sunday morning public affairs program State of the Union.

Aaron Klein is an American-Israeli conservative political commentator, journalist, strategist, bestselling author, and senior advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He served as campaign manager for several of Netanyahu's election campaigns and chief strategist for Netanyahu's 2020 election campaign that resulted in a rotating unity government with Netanyahu at the helm and his 2022 campaign in which Netanyahu won a full-term. Klein was Netanyahu's full-time strategic advisor in government from 2020 to 2021, during the period Netanyahu was prime minister of Israel's 36th government and he serves as a strategic advisor to Netanyahu during Israel's 37th government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perez Hilton</span> American blogger (born 1978)

Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., known professionally as Perez Hilton, is an American blogger, columnist, and media personality. His blog is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities, and for posting tabloid photos over which he has added his own captions or "doodles". His blog has garnered controversy for its attitude, its former practice of outing alleged closeted celebrities, and its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Gutfeld</span> American commentator (Born 1964)

Gregory John Gutfeld is an American television host, political commentator, comedian, and author. He is the host of the late-night comedy talk show Gutfeld!, and hosted a Saturday night edition of Gutfeld! called The Greg Gutfeld Show from May 2015 until March 2021, when it was announced the show would transition to weeknights.

Patrick Dollard is an American documentary filmmaker. In the 1990s he was a Hollywood talent agent, manager, and producer most known for helping to build the career of Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh. Dollard has been known as a Hollywood conservative since the mid-1990s, and promotes himself as a conservative filmmaker, blogger, and pundit. Dollard has been alleged to be an alcoholic and drug abuser who has struggled to overcome his addictions, as claimed in an article by Evan Wright in Vanity Fair and in Wright's subsequent book Hella Nation.

<i>Breitbart News</i> American far-right news and opinion website

Breitbart News Network is an American far-right syndicated news, opinion, and commentary website founded in mid-2007 by American conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart. Its content has been described as misogynistic, xenophobic, and racist by various academics and journalists. The site has published a number of conspiracy theories and intentionally misleading stories. Posts originating from the Breitbart News Facebook page are among the most widely shared political content on Facebook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sirius XM Patriot</span> Radio station

SiriusXM Patriot is a conservative talk radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 125 and XM Satellite Radio channel 125. The channel features exclusive hosts such as Cam & Company from NRANews, David Webb, and Andrew Wilkow. It also features popular syndicated programs including Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. The station is the result of a merger between former channels SIRIUS Patriot and America Right. Hourly news updates are produced by Townhall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Republic</span> Internet forum for conservatives

Free Republic is a moderated Internet forum and chat site for self-described conservatives, primarily within the United States. It presents articles and comments posted pseudonymously by registered members, known as "Freepers", using screen names. The site is supported entirely by donations, with pledge drives known as "Freepathons" held each quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Fox News</span>

The Fox News Channel (FNC) is an American basic cable and satellite news television channel that was founded by media mogul Rupert Murdoch in 1996. It competes as one of the top-three cable news networks in the United States, often leading its rivals MSNBC, and CNN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Weigel</span> American journalist and blogger (born 1981)

David Weigel is an American journalist. He works for Semafor. Weigel previously covered politics for The Washington Post,Slate, and Bloomberg Politics and is a contributing editor for Reason magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Corsi</span> American conservative author (born 1946)

Jerome Robert Corsi is an American conspiracy theorist and author. His two New York Times best-selling books, Unfit for Command (2004) and The Obama Nation (2008), attacked Democratic presidential candidates and have been criticized by opposition.

Jamie Weinstein is an American political journalist, opinion commentator, and satirist. He currently hosts The Dispatch podcast on Mondays and formerly hosted The Jamie Weinstein Show podcast, which was at one time a National Review Online podcast.

Lee Stranahan is an American writer who worked for Sputnik, a Russian government-controlled news agency. He previously worked for Breitbart News, and has written for The Huffington Post and Daily Kos. He has worked as a television producer, illustrator, and erotic photographer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rasmussen Reports (2019). "Matt Drudge May No Longer Be Editor of Drudge Report" . Retrieved December 8, 2019– via Twitter.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Matt Drudge and Julia Phillips (2000). "Drudge Manifesto, Chapter one online". The Denver Post. Retrieved March 2, 2007.
  3. ↑ Kurtz, Howard (1999). "It's 10 past Monica, America. Do you know where Matt Drudge is?". The Washington Post. WNN Archives. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2006.
  4. ↑ Cohen, Daniel (2000). Yellow Journalism. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 99. ISBN   0761315020.
  5. ↑ Siklos, Richard (June 6, 2008). "The Web 2.0-defying logic of Drudge". CNN. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  6. ↑ Pachter, Richard (August 29, 2003). "Article: Matt Drudge finds Internet success". AccessMyLibrary. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 Sappell, Joel (August 4, 2007). "Hot links served up daily". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
  8. ↑ Sandoval, Greg (November 30, 2005). "Breitbart.com has Drudge to thank for its success". cnet news. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
  9. ↑ Breitbart, Andrew (April 26, 2005). "April 26, 2005: Breitbart Statement". Archived from the original on October 12, 2006. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Lists: What's Your Source for That? Where Andrew Breitbart gets his information". ReasonOnline.com. October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Andrew Breitbart: Drudge's Human Face". Gawker.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
  12. ↑ Keighley, Geoff (April 1, 2003). "The Secrets of Drudge Inc. How to set up a round-the-clock news site on a shoestring, bring in $3,500 a day, and still have time to lounge on the beach". CNNMoney.com. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
  13. ↑ Sherman, Gabriel. "Underground Man". The New Republic. Retrieved April 22, 2009. One source relays that, these days, the only media figures he talks to regularly are a select group that includes Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and Andrew Breitbart ... Drudge now lives at another property in Miami.
  14. ↑ Kurtz, Howard (November 15, 1999). "The Going Gets Tough, and Matt Drudge Gets Going". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  15. 1 2 "Photo Drudges Up Cries of Doubles Standard". National Catholic Register. 1999. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  16. ↑ Kiesewetter, John. Cunningham Goes National. Cincinnati Enquirer. September 5, 2007.
  17. ↑ New York Times Best Seller List October 29, 2000
  18. ↑ Drudge, Matt (September 5, 2001). Drudge Manifesto. NAL Trade. ISBN   978-0-451-20491-2.
  19. ↑ Beato, Greg (October 9, 2000). "Drudge Manifesto". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  20. ↑ G. Beato (October 9, 2000). "Drudge Manifesto review" . Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  21. ↑ Staff, Mediaite (December 18, 2024). "Mediaite's Most Influential in News Media 2024 - Part 7". Mediaite. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  22. ↑ "CNN Reliable Sources: Coverage of the Mark Foley Scandal". CNN. October 15, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
  23. 1 2 Halpernin, Mark; Harris, John F. (October 2006). The Way to Win . Random House. ISBN   1-4000-6447-3.
  24. ↑ Cox, Ana Marie (April 30, 2006). "Matt Drudge; Redefining What's News". Time. Archived from the original on May 17, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
  25. ↑ "Drudge Report Sets Tone for National Political Coverage". ABC News. October 1, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
  26. ↑ Hirschman, David S. (October 6, 2006). "'Wash Post' Editor Downie: Everyone in Our Newsroom Wants to Be a Blogger". Editor & Publisher. Retrieved October 8, 2006.
  27. ↑ Rutenberg, Jim (October 22, 2007). "Clinton Finds Way to Play Along With Drudge". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  28. ↑ Epstein, Jennifer (January 29, 2012). "Thompson: Mitt campaign has 'Drudge in their back pocket'". Politico. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Pushing others' news for profit". The Sydney Morning Herald . September 16, 2003. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  30. 1 2 Drudge, Matt (November 12, 2002). "Over 1 Billion Served". editorial. The Drudge Report. Retrieved October 4, 2006.
  31. ↑ Harnden, Toby (February 28, 2008). "Matt Drudge: world's most powerful journalist". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  32. ↑ Scheer, Robert (July 16, 1998). "Dinner With Drudge". Online Journalism Review. Retrieved September 27, 2006.
  33. ↑ Sokol, Brett (June 28, 2001). "The Drudge Retort". Miami Times. Miami. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  34. ↑ Landesman, Cosmo (April 17, 2005). "The World is his Laptop". The Times. London. Archived from the original on July 26, 2008. Retrieved October 28, 2006.
  35. ↑ Purdum, Todd (August 17, 1997). "The Dangers of Dishing Dirt in Cyberspace". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
  36. ↑ "Drudging up news on the Web". CNN. May 6, 2002. Retrieved December 15, 2006.
  37. ↑ Paglia, Camille (September 1, 1998). "Ask Camille". Salon. Archived from the original on January 15, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2006.
  38. ↑ McClintick, David (November 1998). "Town Crier for the New Age". Brill's Content. Archived from the original on August 19, 2000. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.