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| {{short description|American internet journalist and talk radio host}} | |||
| {{POV}} | |||
| {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}} | |||
| {{Infobox journalist | |||
| {{Infobox person | |||
| | name = Matt Drudge | |||
| | image = |
| image = Matt Drudge 1996 (cropped).jpg | ||
| | caption = |
| caption = Drudge in 1996 | ||
| | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|10|27}} | |||
| | birthname = | |||
| | birth_place = ], U.S. | |||
| | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|10|27}} | |||
| | death_date = | |||
| | birth_place = ], ], ] | |||
| | |
| death_place = | ||
| | |
| education = | ||
| | occupation = Political commentator, news editor | |||
| | education = | |||
| | title = | |||
| | occupation = Internet News Editor | |||
| | |
| spouse = | ||
| | |
| relatives = | ||
| | family = |
| family = | ||
| | |
| birthname = Matthew Nathan Drudge | ||
| | alias = | |||
| | domestic_partner = | | domestic_partner = | ||
| | |
| networth = | ||
| | known_for = Reporting political scandals, creating the ] | |||
| | relatives = | |||
| | ethnic = | |||
| | religion = Jewish | |||
| | salary = $800K (2003) | |||
| | networth = | |||
| | credits = Reporting Political Scandals | |||
| | agent = | |||
| | URL = http://www.drudgereport.com Drudge Report - | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| {{Conservatism US|activists}} | |||
| {{Journalism}} | |||
| '''Matthew Nathan Drudge''' (born October 27, 1966) is an American journalist and the creator/editor of the ], an American ]. Drudge is also an author and a former radio and television show host.<ref name="nymagx" /> | |||
| ==Early life and education== | |||
| '''Matthew Nathan Drudge''' (born ], ]) is the creator and editor of the '']'', a conservative ] website. | |||
| Drudge was raised in ], near ]<ref name="mdbook">{{Cite web|url=http://extras.denverpost.com/books/chdrudge1224.htm|title=Drudge Manifesto, Chapter one online|access-date=March 2, 2007|work=The Denver Post|year=2000|author=Matt Drudge and Julia Phillips}}</ref> His father, Robert Drudge, a former social worker,<ref name="mdbook" /> and his mother<ref name="nymagx">{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/1203805776172728322|title=Matt Drudge May No Longer Be Editor of Drudge Report|author=Rasmussen Reports|year=2019|via=Twitter|access-date=December 8, 2019}}</ref> divorced when he was six. Drudge went to live with his mother.<ref name="mdbook" /> He had few friends and was an avid news reader and radio talk show fan.<ref name="mdbook" /><ref name="early">{{Cite news|url=http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9903D&L=wnn&P=8522|title=It's 10 past Monica, America. Do you know where Matt Drudge is?|access-date=December 15, 2006|newspaper=The Washington Post|publisher=WNN Archives|year=1999|first=Howard|last=Kurtz|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713235255/http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9903D&L=wnn&P=8522|archive-date=July 13, 2011}}</ref> Drudge graduated 341st out of a high school class of 355.<ref name="cohen">{{cite book|last=Cohen | first=Daniel | year=2000 | publisher=Twenty-First Century Books | title=Yellow Journalism | isbn=0761315020 | page=99}}</ref> In his book '']'', Drudge says that he "failed his ]".<ref name="mdbook" /> | |||
| == |
== Career == | ||
| Matthew Drudge, raised in ], ], near ], is an only child. His parents are ] ] ] who both worked for the federal government.<ref name="mdbook">{{Cite web|url=http://extras.denverpost.com/books/chdrudge1224.htm|title=Drudge Manifesto, Chapter one online|accessdate=2007-03-02|publisher=Denver Post|year=2000|author=Matt Drudge and Julia Phillips|format=html}}</ref> His father, Robert Drudge, a former ]er who owns the reference site www.refdesk.com <ref name="mdbook" /> and his mother, a former staff attorney for ],<ref name="nymagx">{{Cite web|url=http://nymag.com/news/media/36617/|title=Watching Matt Drudge|accessdate=2007-08-31|publisher=New York Magazine|year=2007|author=Philip Weiss|format=html}}</ref> divorced when he was six. Drudge went to live with his mother.<ref name="mdbook" /> He had few friends but was an avid news reader and radio talk show fan.<ref name="mdbook" /><ref name="early">{{Cite web|url=http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9903D&L=wnn&P=8522|title=It's 10 past Monica, America. Do you know where Matt Drudge is?|accessdate=2006-12-15|publisher=WNN Archives|year=1999|author=Howard Kurtz|work=The Washington Post|format=html}}</ref> In his book ''Drudge Manifesto'', Drudge reports that he "failed his ]", and graduated 341st out of a class of 355 from ] in 1984, thus giving himself, in his words, a "more than adequate ] for a post at ]".<ref name="mdbook" /> | |||
| === Drudge Report === | |||
| He was arrested on June 18, 1981, for making annoying telephone calls.<ref name="nymagx" /> After the arrest, Drudge went to live with his father on a farm on the eastern shore of Maryland. Before long, however, his father sent him back to Washington to live with his unemployed mother. Drudge was then placed in ] treatment with Jewish Social Services.<ref name="nymagx" /> It was recommended that the boy be sent to a ], "and if not the last choice will be a ]" (from court papers).<ref name="nymagx" /> | |||
| {{Main|Drudge Report}} | |||
| Drudge was unknown before he began the news aggregation site, the ].<ref name="siklos">{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2008/06/06/technology/drudge_report.fortune/index.htm?section=money_news_newsmakers|title=The Web 2.0-defying logic of Drudge|access-date=June 28, 2008|publisher=CNN|first=Richard |last=Siklos |date=June 6, 2008}}</ref> For many years, he took odd jobs such as night counterman at a ] convenience store, ] for ] books, ] 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 ] 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 ] computer in 1994.<ref name="nymagx" /> 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 ] forum. In 1996, the newsletter transitioned slowly from entertainment gossip to political gossip and moved from email to the ] as its primary distribution mechanism. | |||
| ==Drudge Report== | |||
| {{main|Drudge Report}} | |||
| Drudge was unknown before he began the conservative news aggregation site,<ref name="FT-cons">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1a46682a-9c73-11dd-a42e-000077b07658.html|title=Will a funny thing happen on the way to Washington?|accessdate=2008-10-29|publisher=The Financial Times|work=Edward Luce|quote=...the conservative Drudge Report...}}</ref><ref name="w-times-cons">{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/27/mccain-labels-obama-redistributor/|title=McCain labels Obama 'the redistributor'|accessdate=2008-10-29|publisher=The Washington Times|work=Stephen Dinan|quote=..the conservative Drudge Report...}}</ref><ref name="edandpub">{{Cite web|url=http://www.editorandpublisher.com|title=MoveOn.org Targets AP's Fournier for Alleged Pro-McCain Bias|accessdate=2008-09-10|publisher=Editor and Publisher (pay site, article is available elsewhere online)|quote=...the Drudge Report ....and numerous other conservative sites}}</ref><ref name="mediap">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=84800|title=Drudge Retort Considers Lawsuit Against AP|accessdate=2008-12-09|publisher=MediaPost NY|quote=...the conservative Drudge Report}}</ref><ref name="cjon">{{Cite web|url=http://cjonline.com/stories/111508/loc_356232379.shtml|title=A weekly look at what's getting the most looks online|accessdate=2008-12-09|publisher=The Topeka Capital-Journal|quote=...the Drudge Report, a popular conservative Web site.}}</ref><ref name="rawcon">{{Cite web|url=http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Bill_Clinton_tells_Rush_Limbaugh_Youre_0517.html|title=Bill Clinton tells Rush Limbaugh: 'You're tan, fit, look good'|accessdate=2008-12-09|publisher=Rawstory.com|quote=Limbaugh spoke about how the conservative Drudge Report first reported...}}</ref><ref name="siklos">{{Cite web|url=http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/06/technology/drudge_report.fortune/index.htm?section=money_news_newsmakers|title=The Web 2.0-defying logic of Drudge|accessdate=2008-06-28|publisher=CNN|author=Richard Siklos}}</ref> the ]. For many years, he took odd jobs such as night counterman at a ] convenience store, ] for ] books, McDonald's manager, and sales assistant at a ] grocery store. In 1989, he moved to ], where he took up residence in a small ] apartment. He took a job in the gift shop of ] 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 had insisted on buying him a ] computer in 1994.<ref name="nymagx" /> The Drudge Report began as an e-mail sent out to a few friends. The original issues were part gossip and part opinion. They were distributed as an e-mail newsletter and posted to alt.showbiz.gossip ] forum. In 1996, the newsletter transitioned slowly from entertainment gossip to political gossip and moved from e-mail to the ] 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 ] would be ] ]'s running mate in the 1996 presidential election. In 1998, he gained popularity when he published the reporting of then-'']'' reporter ], becoming the first media outlet to publish the news that later became the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-119251631/matt-drudge-finds-internet.html |title=Article: Matt Drudge finds Internet success |work=AccessMyLibrary |access-date=November 24, 2009 |first=Richard |last=Pachter |date=August 29, 2003}}</ref> | |||
| <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | |||
| In March 1995, the Drudge Report had 1,000 e-mail subscribers; By 1997, Drudge had 85,000 subscribers to his e-mail service. Drudge's website gained in popularity in the late 1990s after a number of stories which he reported before the mainstream media. Drudge first received national attention in 1996 when he broke the news that ] would be ] ]'s running mate in the 1996 presidential election. In 1998, Drudge gained notoriety when he was the first outlet to break the news that later became the ].<ref name="drudgemonica">{{cite web| last = Drudge| first = Matt| title = Newsweek Kills Story On White House Intern| publisher = The Drudge Report| date = ]| url = http://www.drudgereport.com/ml.htm| accessdate = 2006-10-05 }}</ref> | |||
| ] |
Drudge met ] in Los Angeles during the 1990s and became his mentor, with Breitbart later helping to run the Drudge Report.<ref name="sappell" /><ref name="breit-cash">{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/Breitbart.com+has+Drudge+to+thank+for+his+success/2100-1025_3-5976096.html |title=Breitbart.com has Drudge to thank for its success |access-date=August 7, 2007 |publisher=cnet news |date=November 30, 2005 |first=Greg |last=Sandoval |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119143204/http://news.cnet.com/Breitbart.com-has-Drudge-to-thank-for-his-success/2100-1025_3-5976096.html |archive-date=January 19, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 '']''.<ref name="breit-simon">{{cite web|url=http://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2005/04/breitbart_state.php|title=April 26, 2005: Breitbart Statement|access-date=August 7, 2007|date=April 26, 2005|first=Andrew|last=Breitbart|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20061012031049/http://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2005/04/breitbart_state.php|archive-date=October 12, 2006}}</ref><ref name="biyatch">{{cite web|url=http://www.reason.com/news/show/122048.html|title=Lists: What's Your Source for That? Where Andrew Breitbart gets his information |date=October 2, 2007 |access-date=October 1, 2008|publisher=ReasonOnline.com}}</ref><ref name="afternoon">{{cite web|url=http://gawker.com/5044885/andrew-breitbart-drudges-human-face |title=Andrew Breitbart: Drudge's Human Face |access-date=September 10, 2008 |publisher=Gawker.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909165225/http://gawker.com/5044885/andrew-breitbart-drudges-human-face |archive-date=September 9, 2008 }}</ref> | ||
| A story by '']'' 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.<ref name="cnnmoney">{{cite news|last=Keighley|first=Geoff|title=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 |publisher=CNNMoney.com |date=April 1, 2003|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2003/04/01/339822/index.htm|access-date=October 1, 2006}}</ref> An article in '']'' 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 ], he confirmed that he earns over $1 million. | |||
| ==Fox News television show== | |||
| From June 1998 to November 1999, Drudge hosted a Saturday night television show called '']'' on the ]. The show ended abruptly when the two parties agreed to part ways. Drudge had refused to go on air, charging Fox News with ] when the network prevented him from showing photos of surgery on the ] of ]. Drudge, who is ], wanted to use a picture of a tiny hand reaching out from the womb to dramatize his argument against late-term ], but Fox's ] decided that that would be misleading because the tabloid photo dealt not with abortion but with an emergency operation on the fetus for ].<ref name="abort">{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-11/15/021r-111599-idx.html|title=The Going Gets Tough, and Matt Drudge Gets Going|accessdate=2007-07-29|publisher=The Washington Post|year=1999-11-15|author=Howard Kurtz|format=html}}</ref> Fox News charged him with breach of contract but, after Drudge issued an apology,<ref name="cathlik">{{Cite web|url=http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/abortion/ab0018.html|title=Photo Drudges Up Cries of Doubles Standard|accessdate=2007-07-29|publisher=National Catholic Register|year=1999|format=html}}</ref> Fox issued a statement calling the parting "amicable".<ref name="cathlik" /> His contract was originally set to run through February 2001.<ref name="eonline">{{cite web| last = Byrne| first = Gridget| coauthors = Ryan, Joal| title = Fox Drops Drudge| publisher = E!| date = 1999-11-18| url = http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,5621,00.html| accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref> | |||
| 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.<ref name="nymagx" /><ref name="sappell">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-drudge4aug04,0,4136919,full.story?coll=la-home-center|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211200049/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-drudge4aug04,0,4136919,full.story?coll=la-home-center|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 11, 2008|title=Hot links served up daily|access-date=August 4, 2007|work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 4, 2007|first=Joel|last=Sappell}}</ref> In updating the site, he reportedly monitors multiple television news channels and a number of websites on several computers in his home office.<ref name="TNR.com">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=33037aaf-848f-4b79-8a75-34d6c793457e&p=2|title=Underground Man |magazine=The New Republic |access-date=April 22, 2009 |last=Sherman |first=Gabriel|quote=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.}}</ref> | |||
| ==Radio talk show== | |||
| Drudge hosted a Sunday night ] show — "The only time anyone will let me on the air," he claimed. The show, which was also named the ''Drudge Report'', was syndicated by ]. He guest hosted for the ] radio talk show host ]. Drudge gained radio notoriety in the early 2000s by becoming a constant reference for news material on Limbaugh's, ]'s, and ]'s radio shows. He was often acknowledged by conservative ] as a source of topics for '']''. | |||
| === Fox News television show === | |||
| Drudge left his position as radio host with Premiere effective ], ]. He was replaced by ], ], radio station ]'s ].<ref>Kiesewetter, John. . Cincinnati Enquirer. 5 September 2007.</ref> | |||
| From June 1998 to November 1999, Drudge hosted a Saturday night television show called '']'' on the ]. 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 ]. 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 ] decided that that would be misleading because the photo was not of an abortion but an emergency operation on the fetus for ].<ref name="abort">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-11/15/021r-111599-idx.html|title=The Going Gets Tough, and Matt Drudge Gets Going|access-date=July 29, 2007|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 15, 1999|first=Howard|last=Kurtz}}</ref> Fox News alleged breach of contract but, after Drudge issued an apology,<ref name="cathlik">{{Cite web|url=http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/abortion/ab0018.html|title=Photo Drudges Up Cries of Doubles Standard|access-date=July 29, 2007|publisher=National Catholic Register|year=1999}}</ref> Fox issued a statement calling the parting "amicable".<ref name="cathlik" /> | |||
| === Radio talk show === | |||
| ==Book== | |||
| Drudge hosted a Sunday night ] 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 ]. He guest hosted for the ] show host ]. Drudge gained notice in the early 2000s by becoming a frequent reference for news material on Limbaugh's, ]'s, and ]'s radio shows. He was often acknowledged by ] as a source of topics for '']''. ], for a time, served as Drudge's ]. | |||
| Drudge wrote a book with ] in 2000 titled ''Drudge Manifesto''.<ref name="manifesto">{{cite book | title=Drudge Manifesto| last=Drudge| first=Matt| date=2001-09-05| publisher=NAL Trade| id=ISBN-13: 978-0451204912}}</ref> The book features a transcript of a Q&A session conducted at the ] on June 2, 1998, which lays out Drudge's | |||
| '']''. It also contains copies of e-mails sent to Drudge by his readers, dialogues between Drudge and his cat, and extensive descriptions of parties Drudge has attended and how the celebrities there reacted to him. A review in the '']'' summarised the book as follows:<ref name="beato1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com|title=Drudge Manifesto|accessdate=2007-08-09|publisher=The Washington Post|year=2000-10-09|author=Greg Beato|format=html}}</ref><ref name="beato2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.soundbitten.com/DrudgeBook.html|title=Drudge Manifesto review|accessdate=2007-08-09|year=2000-10-09|author=G. Beato|format=html}}</ref> | |||
| <blockquote>Indeed, while Drudge Manifesto runs 247 pages, it takes a lot of filler to reach that length: 40 blank pages; 31 pages of fan mail; 24 pages of Drudge Report reruns; 13 pages of a Q & A that Drudge did at the ] three years ago; 10 pages of titles and other book boilerplate; six pages of quotes from Drudge's favorite philosophers (Monica, ], etc.); four pages of a chat transcript; three pages that include nothing but a large zero; two pages that include nothing but a large numeral 1; one page that includes nothing but a tiny zero; and one page that includes Drudge's favorite Web sites. Which leaves, in the end, 112 pages of new material, including nine pages of poetry.</blockquote> | |||
| Drudge left his position as radio host with Premiere effective September 30, 2007. He was replaced by ] radio station ]'s ] on the network and in most markets,<ref>Kiesewetter, John. . Cincinnati Enquirer. September 5, 2007.</ref> though in a few larger markets, ] replaced him instead. | |||
| Another review, this time from the '']'', stated: | |||
| ===Books=== | |||
| <blockquote>... the publication of Drudge's very odd memoir, Drudge Manifesto, a book described even by ardent admirer ] as "subliterate." By any standard, Drudge's book is padded. Of its 247 pages, forty-one are entirely blank. Another seventeen contain just a number or a name ("]") or a phrase ("you're boring"). It is a weird, stream-of-conscious mixture of telling readers how he got his stories and mocking his critics. </blockquote> | |||
| ''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 ] in 2000 titled ''Drudge Manifesto'', which reached the ].<ref> Best Seller List October 29, 2000</ref><ref name="manifesto">{{cite book | title=Drudge Manifesto| last=Drudge| first=Matt| date=September 5, 2001| publisher=NAL Trade| isbn=978-0-451-20491-2}}</ref> The book features a transcript of a Q&A session conducted at the ] on June 2, 1998, which lays out Drudge's '']''. 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 '']'' said: "Indeed, while Drudge Manifesto runs 247 pages ... Which leaves, in the end, 112 pages of new material, including nine pages of poetry."<ref name="beato1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com|title=Drudge Manifesto|access-date=August 9, 2007|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 9, 2000|first=Greg|last=Beato}}</ref><ref name="beato2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.soundbitten.com/DrudgeBook.html|title=Drudge Manifesto review|access-date=August 9, 2007|date=October 9, 2000|author=G. Beato}}</ref> A review from the '']'' 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== | ==Influence== | ||
| 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|date=February 2021}} Ahead of the ], ] communication director ] befriended Drudge, a relationship which she describes in the book as "scary" due to the power of the Drudge Report.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} | |||
| In their 2006 book ''The Way To Win'', ] and ] report that ] chairman ] "kind of brags" (as ] host ] puts it) about utilizing the Drudge channel.<ref name="cnn-transcript">{{Cite web|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/15/rs.01.html|title=CNN RELIABLE SOURCES : Coverage of the Mark Foley Scandal|accessdate=2007-08-05|publisher=CNN|year=2006-10-15|format=html}}</ref> They also write that: <blockquote> | |||
| "Drudge, with his droll ] name, was not the only media or political agent whose actions led to ]'s defeat. But his role placed him at the center of the game -- a New Media World Order in which Drudge was the most potent player in the process and a personification of the dynamic that did Kerry in."<ref name="waytowin">{{cite book | last = Halpernin | first = Mark | coauthors = John F. Harris | title = The Way To Win | publisher = Random House| date = 2006| pages =| month = October | isbn = 1-4000-6447-3 }}</ref></blockquote> | |||
| In their 2006 book ''The Way to Win'', ] and ] report that ] chairman ] "kind of brags" (as then-] host ] put it) about utilizing the Drudge channel.<ref name="cnn-transcript">{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/15/rs.01.html|title=CNN Reliable Sources: Coverage of the Mark Foley Scandal|access-date=August 5, 2007|publisher=CNN|date=October 15, 2006}}</ref> They also wrote that "Drudge, with his droll ] name, was not the only media or political agent whose actions led to ]'s defeat. But his role placed him at the center of the game."<ref name="waytowin">{{cite book | last1 = Halpernin | first1 = Mark |first2=John F. |last2=Harris | title = The Way to Win | url = https://archive.org/details/waytowintakingwh00halp | url-access = registration | publisher = Random House|date=October 2006| isbn = 1-4000-6447-3 }}</ref> | |||
| In 2006, '']'' named Drudge one of the 100 most influential people in the world,<ref name="timeinfluential">{{cite web| last = Cox| first = Ana Marie| title = Matt Drudge; Redefining What's News| publisher = Time.com| date = 2006-04-30| url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186874,00.html| accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref> describing the Drudge Report as: <blockquote>"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." </blockquote> | |||
| In 2006, '']'' named Drudge one of the 100 most influential people in the world,<ref name="timeinfluential">{{cite magazine| last = Cox| first = Ana Marie| title = Matt Drudge; Redefining What's News| magazine = Time| date = April 30, 2006| url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186874,00.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060517205726/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186874,00.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = May 17, 2006| access-date = October 1, 2006 }}</ref> 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." | |||
| ] concluded that the ''Drudge Report'' sets the tone for national political coverage.<ref name="abctone">{{cite news| title = Drudge Report Sets Tone for National Political Coverage| publisher = ABC News| date = 2006-10-01| url = http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2514276&page=1| accessdate = 2006-10-01}}</ref> The article states that:<blockquote>"] operatives keep an open line to Drudge, often using him to attack their opponents."</blockquote> | |||
| ] concluded that the Drudge Report sets the tone for national political coverage.<ref name="abctone">{{cite news| title = Drudge Report Sets Tone for National Political Coverage| publisher = ABC News| date = October 1, 2006| url = https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2514276&page=1| access-date = October 1, 2006}}</ref> The article says "] operatives keep an open line to Drudge, often using him to attack their opponents." | |||
| In October 2006, '']'' editor ], speaking at the ]'s annual convention in ], stated "Our largest driver of traffic is Matt Drudge."<ref name="epwapotraffic">{{cite web| last = Hirschman| first = David S.| title = 'Wash Post' Editor Downie: Everyone in Our Newsroom Wants to Be a Blogger| publisher = Editor & Publisher| date = 2006-10-06| url = http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003221716| accessdate = 2006-10-08 }}</ref> | |||
| In October 2006, '']'' editor ], speaking at the ]'s annual convention in ], said, "Our largest driver of traffic is Matt Drudge."<ref name="epwapotraffic">{{cite web| last = Hirschman| first = David S.| title = 'Wash Post' Editor Downie: Everyone in Our Newsroom Wants to Be a Blogger| work = Editor & Publisher| date = October 6, 2006| url = http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003221716| access-date = October 8, 2006 }}</ref> | |||
| On October 22, 2007, '']'' reporter Jim Rutenberg wrote that Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, including ], 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."<ref name="thenewyorktimes">{{cite web| last = Rutenberg| first = Jim| title = Clinton Finds Way to Play Along With Drudge| publisher = The New York Times| date = 2007-10-22| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/us/politics/22drudge.html?ei=5065&en=8e8c56803a2a987c&ex=1193630400&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print| accessdate = 2007-10-22}}</ref> Rutenberg stated that Nielsen/NetRatings shows that the ''Drudge Report'' gets three million unique visitors over the course of a month, or approximately one percent of the population of the ]. | |||
| On October 22, 2007, '']'' reporter ] 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."<ref name="thenewyorktimes">{{cite news| last = Rutenberg| first = Jim| title = Clinton Finds Way to Play Along With Drudge| work = The New York Times| date = October 22, 2007| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/us/politics/22drudge.html?ei=5065&en=8e8c56803a2a987c&ex=1193630400&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print| access-date = October 22, 2007}}</ref> Rutenberg stated that ] 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. | |||
| ==Persona and criticism== | |||
| ===Income=== | |||
| A story by '']'' magazine from April 2003 estimated that Drudge's website received $3,500 a day in advertising revenues. Subtracting his relatively minor server costs, the magazine estimated that The Drudge Report website grossed $800,000 a year. <ref name="cnnmoney">{{cite web| last = Keighley| first = Geoff| title = 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.| publisher = CNNMoney.com| date = 2003-04-01| url = http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2003/04/01/339822/index.htm| accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref> An article in '']'' from September 2003 said Drudge estimated he earns $1.2 million a year from his website and radio show. During an ], ] appearance on ], Drudge confirmed that he earns over $1 million. For many years, Drudge was based out of his one-bedroom apartment in ]. Today, Drudge maintains the website from his two properties in ] — his $1.4 million Mediterranean-style stucco house on ],<ref name="nymagx" /> and his $1-million-plus condominium in Miami's ].<ref name="sappell">{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-drudge4aug04,0,4136919,full.story?coll=la-home-center|title=Hot links served up daily|accessdate=2007-08-04|publisher=Los Angeles Times|year=2007-08-04|author=Joel Sappell|format=html}}</ref> In updating the site, he reportedly monitors multiple television news channels and a number of websites on several computers in his home office. | |||
| During the ], Drudge was described by some, including former presidential candidate ], as having a pro-] slant.<ref name="mitt">{{cite news |last= Epstein| first= Jennifer | work= Politico| date=January 29, 2012|access-date=May 3, 2014 | url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-live/2012/01/fred-thompson-attacks-romney-campaign-for-having-drudge-112714.html|title=Thompson: Mitt campaign has 'Drudge in their back pocket'}}</ref> | |||
| ===Gay allegations=== | |||
| In 2003, Drudge faced criticism for describing ABC reporter ] as "openly ]" in the headline ''"ABC News Reporter Who Filed Troops Complaint Story — Openly Gay Canadian"'' after Kofman interviewed ] soldiers in ].<ref name="cbc-gay">{{Cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2003/07/18/kofman_030718.html|title=Canadian reporter 'smeared' over Iraq coverage|accessdate=2007-07-30|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)|year=2003-07-18|format=html}}</ref><ref>Drudge, Matt: "ABC News Reporter Who Filed Troops Complaint Story — Openly Gay Canadian", '']'', July 16 2003</ref><ref name="cd">{{Cite web|url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0719-02.htm|title=TV Man Is (Shock) Gay, And (Horror) Canadian|accessdate=2007-07-27|publisher=commondreams.org|year=2003|author=Antonia Zerbisias|format=html}} The original article in the Toronto Times contained the quote ''"Drudge has some nerve, since he's a gay man himself"'' but they later .</ref><ref name="gayjourno">{{Cite web|url=http://www.washblade.com/2003/7-25/news/national/smearhouse.cfm|title=White House disavows 'smear' of gay reporter|accessdate=2007-07-27|publisher=Washington Blade|year=2003|author=Lou Chibbaro|format=html}}</ref> Drudge's critics, like left wing gay American writer and national talk radio host ],<ref name="nyp">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nypress.com/15/22/news&columns/signorile.cfm|title=Spreading Drudge’s Sludge|accessdate=2007-07-31|publisher=New York Press|year=2002-05-22|author=Mike Signorile|format=html}}</ref><ref name="mike2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nypress.com/17/2/news&columns/signorile.cfm|title=Rapture, genocide and the Washington Times.|accessdate=2007-08-05|publisher=New York Press|year=2004-01-13|author=Mike Signorile|format=html}}</ref> point to the allegations of homosexuality levelled at Drudge himself by ] of ] in his memoir '']'',<ref name="brockbook">{{cite book | title=Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative| url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400047285/cp58-20| last=Brock| first=David| publisher=Three Rivers Press| id=ISBN-13: 978-1400047284}}</ref><ref name="brock1">{{Cite web|url=http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2002/03/08/brock/index.html|title=The apostate|accessdate=2007-07-27|publisher=salon.com|year=2002|author=Kerry Lauerman|format=html}}</ref> and by columnist ] in her book ''Dish''.<ref name="dish">{{cite book | title=Dish: The Inside Story on the World of Gossip| url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0380978210/cp58-20| last=Walls| first=Jeannette| date=2000| publisher=William Morrow & Company| id=ISBN-13: 978-0380978212}}</ref><ref name="dish2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2000/mar00/news60314b.htm|title=In gossip wars, Jeannette Walls wails: I've been Matt-slammed|accessdate=2007-07-27|publisher=Media Life Magazine|year=2000|author=Jennifer Cox|format=html}}</ref><ref name="dish3">{{Cite web|url=http://archive.salon.com/people/col/reit/2000/03/08/npwed/index.html|title=Egg on his chest?|accessdate=2007-07-27|year=2000|author=Amy Reiter| publisher=salon.com|format=html}}</ref><ref name="dish4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_5400.shtml|title=Homophobia and the Republican Party|accessdate=2007-07-27|publisher=Capitol Hill Blue|year=2004|author=Doug Thompson|format=html}}</ref> However, Drudge denied Walls' claim that he is gay, telling the '']'' in 2001 that "I go to straight bars, I go to ]s. never said there was sex; she said there was dating. She never had enough to go that far."<ref name="notgay">{{Cite web|url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2001-06-28/news/the-drudge-retort/full|title=The Drudge Retort|accessdate=2007-07-27|publisher=Miami New Times|year=2001|author=Brett Sokol|format=html}}</ref> | |||
| ==Personal life== | |||
| In 2002, Drudge discussed suing actor liberal ] with his lawyer, after Baldwin claimed, during a ] interview, that Drudge had propositioned him.<ref name="medialifex">{{Cite web|url=http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2002/aug02/aug05/2_tues/news7tuesday.html|title=Baldwin-Drudge spat may lead to lawsuit|accessdate=2007-08-26|publisher=Media Life Magazine|year=2002|format=html}}</ref><ref name="sternarchive">{{Cite web|url=http://www.marksfriggin.com/news02/8-5.htm|title=Howard Stern Show Archives|accessdate=2007-08-26|publisher=MarksFriggin.com|year=2002-08-05|format=html}}</ref><ref>Richard Johnson, 2002-08-06, Page Six, </ref> In March 2008, Baldwin repeated the story to the ] magazine '']'', saying that there was "a kind of creepy quality" to Drudge's sexual advances, and that he was surprised Drudge was so "uptight about being gay".<ref name="advocate">{{Cite web|url=http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid52506.asp|title=Alec Baldwin On Men, Love, & His Bible-Thumping Brother |accessdate=2008-10-31|publisher=The Advocate|year=2008|author=]}}</ref> | |||
| 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 ]<ref name="nymagx" /> and a $1 million-plus condominium in Miami's ].<ref name="sappell" /> 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 ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/16/1063625009939.html |title=Pushing others' news for profit |work=] |access-date=October 4, 2009 | date=September 16, 2003}}</ref> | |||
| In 2005, Drudge told '']'' "No, I’m not gay. I was nearly married a few years ago."<ref name="married">{{Cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article381892.ece|title=The world is his laptop|accessdate=2007-07-31|publisher=The Sunday Times Online|year=2005-04-17|author=Cosmo Landesman|format=html}}</ref> He has also said: "How can I be gay when I'm dating a woman with boobs and rollers?"<ref name="dish3" /> | |||
| ===Political views=== | ===Political views=== | ||
| {{Quote box |width=30em | align=right | quote=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.|salign=right|source = –''The Drudge Report'', Matt Drudge, on reaching one billion page views, 2002<ref name="billion" />}} | |||
| Drudge, described as a conservative ] by '']'',<ref name="harnden">{{Cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1580164/Matt-Drudge-world%27s-most-powerful-journalist.html|title=Matt Drudge: world's most powerful journalist|accessdate=2008-06-28|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|author=Toby Harnden}}</ref> frequently champions himself as an independent populist, free from the influences of ], ]s, advertisers and editors. | |||
| When his site reached the one billion page view mark during 2002, Drudge summarized his activities in these broad terms: "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."<ref>{{cite web| last = Drudge| first = Matt| title = Over 1 Billion Served| work = editorial| publisher = The Drudge Report| date = 2002-11-12| url = http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2002/11/12/20021112_180331.htm| accessdate = 2006-10-04}}</ref> | |||
| '']'' has described Drudge as a conservative ].<ref name="harnden">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1580164/Matt-Drudge-world%27s-most-powerful-journalist.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527022920/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1580164/Matt-Drudge-world%27s-most-powerful-journalist.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 27, 2008|title=Matt Drudge: world's most powerful journalist|access-date=June 28, 2008|work=The Daily Telegraph|first=Toby |last=Harnden | location=London | date=February 28, 2008}}</ref> In 1998, Drudge claimed that his politics are "] except for drugs and ]".<ref name="dinnerwithdrudge">{{cite web| last = Scheer| first = Robert| title = Dinner With Drudge| publisher = Online Journalism Review| date = July 16, 1998| url = http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1017969521.php| access-date = September 27, 2006}}</ref> In 2001, he told the '']'': "I am a ]. I'm very much ]. If you go down the list of what makes up a conservative, I'm there almost all the way."<ref name="Miami New Times">{{cite news|url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2001-06-28/news/the-drudge-retort/full|access-date=December 18, 2010|work=Miami Times|title=The Drudge Retort|first=Brett|last=Sokol|location=Miami|date=June 28, 2001}}</ref> In 2002, he described himself as "Free from any Corporate Concerns".<ref name="billion">{{cite web| last = Drudge| first = Matt| title = Over 1 Billion Served| work = editorial| publisher = The Drudge Report| date = November 12, 2002| url = http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2002/11/12/20021112_180331.htm| access-date = October 4, 2006}}</ref> In a 2005 interview with '']'', Drudge described his politics: "I'm not a right-wing ]. 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."<ref name="timesuk">{{cite news| last = Landesman| first = Cosmo| title = The World is his Laptop| work = The Times| date = April 17, 2005| url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1572089,00.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080726225411/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1572089,00.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = July 26, 2008| access-date = October 28, 2006 | location=London}}</ref> | |||
| In 2001, Drudge told the '']'' that: {{cquote|... I am a conservative. I'm very much ]. If you go down the list of what makes up a conservative, I'm there almost all the way.<ref name="miaminewtimes">{{cite web| last = Sokol| first = Brett| title = The Drudge Retort| publisher = Miami New Times| date = 2001-06-28| url = http://www.miaminewtimes.com/Issues/2001-06-28/news/feature.html| accessdate = 2006-11-01}}</ref> }} | |||
| Drudge pointed out differences between his political beliefs and those of the Republican party, arguing that his politics more accurately reflect ].<ref name="dinnerwithdrudge">{{cite web| last = Scheer| first = Robert| title = Dinner With Drudge| publisher = Online Journalism Review| date = 1998-07-16| url = http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1017969521.php| accessdate = 2006-09-27}}</ref> In a 2005 interview with '']'' Drudge described his politics: {{cquote|I’m not a right-wing Republican,” he replies without batting an eye. “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.<ref name="timesuk">{{cite web| last = Landesman| first = Cosmo| title = The World is his Laptop| publisher = Times Online| date = 2005-04-17| url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1572089,00.html| accessdate = 2006-10-28}}</ref> }} | |||
| ===Comments by journalists=== | ===Comments by journalists=== | ||
| Drudge has been called "the ] of his era" by ] and ], |
Drudge has been called "the ] of his era" by ] and ],<ref name="waytowin"/> and "the country's reigning mischief-maker" by ] of ''].''<ref name="nyt">{{cite news| last = Purdum| first = Todd| title = The Dangers of Dishing Dirt in Cyberspace| work = The New York Times| date = August 17, 1997| url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0E12FF385B0C748DDDA10894DF494D81| access-date = October 30, 2006 }}</ref> ] of '']'' 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."<ref name="menace">{{cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/05/06/cf.crossfire/index.html|title=Drudging up news on the Web|access-date=December 15, 2006|publisher=CNN| date=May 6, 2002}}</ref> ] called Drudge "the kind of bold, entrepreneurial, free-wheeling, information-oriented outsider we need far more of in this country."<ref name="askcamille">{{cite web| last = Paglia| first = Camille| title = Ask Camille| work = Salon| date = September 1, 1998| url = http://archive.salon.com/col/pagl/1998/09/01pagl2.html| access-date = October 4, 2006| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070115213154/http://archive.salon.com/col/pagl/1998/09/01pagl2.html| archive-date = January 15, 2007}}</ref> David McClintick described him as "a modern ], a possible precursor to millions of town criers using the Internet to invade the turf of bigfoot journalists."<ref name="brillscontent">{{Cite news| last = McClintick| first = David| title = Town Crier for the New Age| work = Brill's Content| access-date = July 23, 2010| date = November 1998| url = http://www.brillscontent.com/features/cryer_1198.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20000819015036/http://www.brillscontent.com/features/cryer_1198.html |archive-date = August 19, 2000}}</ref> | ||
| ==References |
==References== | ||
| {{ |
{{Reflist}} | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| {{wikiquote}} | |||
| * | |||
| * - MP3 archive and |
* | ||
| * {{C-SPAN|49776}} | |||
| * (since Nov. 2001) | |||
| * {{IMDb name|1002654}} | |||
| * - The top Drudge Report headlines of the past 2 weeks | |||
| * | * | ||
| * Transcript of Matt Drudge's 1998 Address Before the National Press Club | |||
| *, by Richard Pachter, ''The Miami Herald'', September 1, 2003 | |||
| * | |||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| <!-- Metadata: see ] --> | |||
| {{Persondata | |||
| |NAME= Drudge, Matt | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Drudge, Matthew Nathan | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION= ] ] ] and a ] host | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH=], ] | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH= ], ], ] | |||
| |DATE OF DEATH= | |||
| |PLACE OF DEATH= | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Drudge, Matt}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Drudge, Matt}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 00:15, 4 November 2024
American internet journalist and talk radio host
| Matt Drudge | |
|---|---|
.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 for | Reporting 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.
Early life and education
Drudge was raised in Takoma Park, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. His father, Robert Drudge, a former social worker, and his mother divorced when he was six. Drudge went to live with his mother. He had few friends and was an avid news reader and radio talk show fan. Drudge graduated 341st out of a high school class of 355. In his book Drudge Manifesto, Drudge says that he "failed his Bar Mitzvah".
Career
Drudge Report
Main article: Drudge ReportDrudge was unknown before he began the news aggregation site, the Drudge Report. 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. 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.
Drudge met Andrew Breitbart in Los Angeles during the 1990s and became his mentor, with Breitbart later helping to run the Drudge Report. 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.
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. 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. In updating the site, he reportedly monitors multiple television news channels and a number of websites on several computers in his home office.
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. Fox News alleged breach of contract but, after Drudge issued an apology, Fox issued a statement calling the parting "amicable".
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, 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. 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." 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 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. 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.
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. 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."
In 2006, Time named Drudge one of the 100 most influential people in the world, 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. 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."
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." 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.
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 and a $1 million-plus condominium in Miami's Four Seasons hotel. 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.
Political views
–The Drudge Report, Matt Drudge, on reaching one billion page views, 2002In 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 Daily Telegraph has described Drudge as a conservative populist. In 1998, Drudge claimed that his politics are "libertarian except for drugs and abortion". 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." In 2002, he described himself as "Free from any Corporate Concerns". 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."
Comments by journalists
Drudge has been called "the Walter Cronkite of his era" by Mark Halperin and John F. Harris, and "the country's reigning mischief-maker" by Todd Purdum of The New York Times. 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." Camille Paglia called Drudge "the kind of bold, entrepreneurial, free-wheeling, information-oriented outsider we need far more of in this country." 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."
References
- ^ Rasmussen Reports (2019). "Matt Drudge May No Longer Be Editor of Drudge Report". Retrieved December 8, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Matt Drudge and Julia Phillips (2000). "Drudge Manifesto, Chapter one online". The Denver Post. Retrieved March 2, 2007.
- 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.
- Cohen, Daniel (2000). Yellow Journalism. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 99. ISBN 0761315020.
- Siklos, Richard (June 6, 2008). "The Web 2.0-defying logic of Drudge". CNN. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
- Pachter, Richard (August 29, 2003). "Article: Matt Drudge finds Internet success". AccessMyLibrary. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
- ^ 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.
- 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.
- Breitbart, Andrew (April 26, 2005). "April 26, 2005: Breitbart Statement". Archived from the original on October 12, 2006. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
- "Lists: What's Your Source for That? Where Andrew Breitbart gets his information". ReasonOnline.com. October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
- "Andrew Breitbart: Drudge's Human Face". Gawker.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
- 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.
- 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.
- Kurtz, Howard (November 15, 1999). "The Going Gets Tough, and Matt Drudge Gets Going". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
- ^ "Photo Drudges Up Cries of Doubles Standard". National Catholic Register. 1999. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
- Kiesewetter, John. Cunningham Goes National. Cincinnati Enquirer. September 5, 2007.
- New York Times Best Seller List October 29, 2000
- Drudge, Matt (September 5, 2001). Drudge Manifesto. NAL Trade. ISBN 978-0-451-20491-2.
- Beato, Greg (October 9, 2000). "Drudge Manifesto". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
- G. Beato (October 9, 2000). "Drudge Manifesto review". Retrieved August 9, 2007.
- "CNN Reliable Sources: Coverage of the Mark Foley Scandal". CNN. October 15, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2007.
- ^ Halpernin, Mark; Harris, John F. (October 2006). The Way to Win. Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6447-3.
- 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.
- "Drudge Report Sets Tone for National Political Coverage". ABC News. October 1, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
- 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.
- Rutenberg, Jim (October 22, 2007). "Clinton Finds Way to Play Along With Drudge". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
- Epstein, Jennifer (January 29, 2012). "Thompson: Mitt campaign has 'Drudge in their back pocket'". Politico. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- "Pushing others' news for profit". The Sydney Morning Herald. September 16, 2003. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
- ^ Drudge, Matt (November 12, 2002). "Over 1 Billion Served". editorial. The Drudge Report. Retrieved October 4, 2006.
- 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.
- Scheer, Robert (July 16, 1998). "Dinner With Drudge". Online Journalism Review. Retrieved September 27, 2006.
- Sokol, Brett (June 28, 2001). "The Drudge Retort". Miami Times. Miami. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
- 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.
- Purdum, Todd (August 17, 1997). "The Dangers of Dishing Dirt in Cyberspace". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2006.
- "Drudging up news on the Web". CNN. May 6, 2002. Retrieved December 15, 2006.
- Paglia, Camille (September 1, 1998). "Ask Camille". Salon. Archived from the original on January 15, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2006.
- 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.
External links
- Transcript, audio, video of Matt Drudge's National Press Club speech
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Matt Drudge at IMDb
- Matt Drudge on Facebook
- 1966 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American Jews
- 20th-century American journalists
- 20th-century American male writers
- 20th-century American non-fiction writers
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American journalists
- 21st-century American male writers
- 21st-century American non-fiction writers
- American alternative journalists
- American anti-abortion activists
- American Internet celebrities
- American libertarians
- American male journalists
- American male non-fiction writers
- American political commentators
- American political writers
- Jewish American journalists
- People from Takoma Park, Maryland