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{{short description|American internet journalist and talk radio host}}
{{Infobox journalist
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
| name = Matt Drudge
{{Infobox person
| image =
| image = Matt Drudge 1996 (cropped).jpg
| birthname =
| caption = Drudge in 1996
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|10|27}} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|10|27}}
| birth_place = ], ], ] | birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date = | death_date =
| death_place = | death_place =
| education = | education =
| occupation = Internet News Editor | occupation = Political commentator, news editor
| alias = | title =
| title = | spouse =
| family = | relatives =
| spouse = | family =
| birthname = Matthew Nathan Drudge
| alias =
| domestic_partner = | domestic_partner =
| children = | networth =
| known_for = Reporting political scandals, creating the ]
| relatives =
| ethnicity =
| religion = ]
| salary =
| networth =
| credits = Reporting Political Scandals, Creating Drudge Report
| 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 October 27, 1966) is the American creator and editor of the '']'', a ] website. Drudge is self-described as being ], ]<ref>{{cite news|url=
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" />
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2001-06-28/news/the-drudge-retort/full|accessdate=2010-12-18|publisher=Miami Times|title=The Drudge Retort|author=Brett Sokol|location=Miami|date=2001-06-28}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article381892.ece|accessdate=2010-09-05|publisher=Timesonline.co.uk|title=The world is his laptop|author=Cosmo Landesman|location=London|date=2005-04-17}}</ref> Drudge has also authored a book and hosted a radio show.


==Early years== == Career ==
Matthew Drudge was raised in ], ], near ]. His parents are ] ] who both worked for the federal government, and he is their only child.<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}}</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}}</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 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}}</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 harassing telephone calls.<ref name="nymagx" /> After the arrest, Drudge went to live with his father on a farm on the eastern shore of Maryland. After a short time his father sent him back to Washington to live with his mother, who was unemployed at the time. Drudge was placed in ] treatment with Jewish Social Services<ref name="nymagx" /> and it was recommended that he 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.
In the 1980s, Drudge worked as a ] for ] with his friend ]. Seymour wrote in his ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.craigspoplife.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-i-wrote-about-matt-drudge.html |title=CRAIG'S POP LIFE: What I Wrote About Matt Drudge |publisher=www.craigspoplife.blogspot.com |accessdate=2009-09-22 }}</ref><ref name="cs-book">{{cite book |title=All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, D.C. |author=Craig Seymour |authorlink=Craig Seymour |isbn=978-1416542063 |year=2009 |publisher=Atria}}</ref> that Drudge loved ], ] and '']''.<ref name="cs-book" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nypress.com/blog-1815-former-stripper-writes-memoir-and-reveals-his-matt.html |title=Former Stripper Writes Memoir and Reveals his Matt Drudge Friendship and Their Mutual Love of 'The Young and the Restless' |publisher=www.nypress.com |accessdate=2009-09-22 }}</ref>


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>
==Drudge Report==
{{Main|Drudge Report}}
Drudge was unknown before he began the conservative news aggregation site, the ].<ref name="siklos">{{cite news|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 | date=2008-06-06}}</ref> 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 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.


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>
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.


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.
<!-- 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 popularity when he was the first outlet to break 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 |accessdate=2009-11-24 | first=Richard | last=Pachter | date=2003-08-29}}</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>
] helps run the Drudge Report website. Breitbart met Drudge in Los Angeles during the 1990s when Drudge was a self-described "untrained D student."<ref name="sappell" /> Drudge mentored Breitbart until 2005, when he left to work for ] website.<ref name="breit-cash" /> Breitbart stated that he was "amicably leaving the Drudge Report after a long and close working relationship with Matt Drudge."<ref name="breit-simon">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2005/04/breitbart_state.php|title=April 26, 2005: Breitbart Statement|accessdate=2007-08-07|date=2005-04-26|author=Andrew Breitbart}}</ref> He now runs Breitbart.com, but still helps run Drudge's website from Los Angeles. Breitbart, who describes himself as "Matt Drudge’s bitch",<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.|accessdate=2008-10-01|publisher=ReasonOnline.com}}</ref> works the afternoon shift at the Drudge Report.<ref name="afternoon">{{Cite web|url=http://gawker.com/5044885/andrew-breitbart-drudges-human-face|title=Andrew Breitbart: Drudge's Human Face|accessdate=2008-09-10|publisher=Gawker.com}}</ref> Drudge frequently links to Breitbart's site, but does not get paid for this service, although it does provide Breitbart with income.<ref name="breit-cash">{{Cite web|url=http://news.com.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|accessdate=2007-08-07|publisher=c|net news|date=2005-11-30|author=Greg Sandoval}}</ref> Drudge has said that he holds no financial stake in Breitbart.com nor does he receive any compensation from its founder.<ref name="breit-cash" />


==Fox News television show== === Fox News television show ===
From June 1998 to November 1999, Drudge hosted a Saturday night television show called '']'' on the ]. The show ended 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 his ass to make it hugeee]] of ]. Drudge, who is ], wanted to use a picture of a tiny hand reaching out from the ass 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 news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-11/15/021r-111599-idx.html|title=The Going Gets Tough, and Matt Drudge Gets "excited" with other guys boners. |accessdate=2007-07-29|publisher=The Washington Post|date=1999-11-15|author=Howard Kurtz}}</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}}</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> 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== === Radio talk show ===
Drudge hosted a Sunday night ] show &mdash; "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 ] 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 ] as a source of topics for '']''. Drudge hosted a Sunday night ] show&nbsp;– "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 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. 5 September 2007.</ref> though in a few larger markets, ] replaced him instead. 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.


==Book== ===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 ] in 2000 titled ''Drudge Manifesto''.<ref name="manifesto">{{cite book | title=Drudge Manifesto| last=Drudge| first=Matt| date=2001-09-05| publisher=NAL Trade| isbn=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|date=2000-10-09|author=Greg Beato}}</ref><ref name="beato2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.soundbitten.com/DrudgeBook.html|title=Drudge Manifesto review|accessdate=2007-08-09|date=2000-10-09|author=G. Beato}}</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 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."
Another review, this time from the '']'', stated:

<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>


==Influence== ==Influence==
In 2024, Drudge was named ] 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Mediaite |date=2024-12-18 |title=Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media 2024 - Part 7 |url=https://www.mediaite.com/news/mediaites-most-influential-in-news-media-2024/7/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Mediaite |language=en}}</ref>
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 news|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|date=2006-10-15}}</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| year = 2006| pages =| month = October | isbn = 1-4000-6447-3 }}</ref></blockquote>


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 2006, '']'' named Drudge one of the 100 most influential people in the world,<ref name="timeinfluential">{{cite news| 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 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>
] 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>


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."
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>


] 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."
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 news| 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 ].

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 ] 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&nbsp;– or unfavorable coverage of competitors&nbsp;– 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.

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>


==Personal life== ==Personal life==
Drudge previously lived in Hollywood, California. As of 2007, he owned two properties in Miami, Florida&nbsp;– 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>
===Income and lifestyle===
A story by '']'' magazine from April 2003 estimated that Drudge's website received $3,500 a day (almost $1.3million a year) 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 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 = 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 April 30, 2004 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 ] &mdash; 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 news|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|date=2007-08-04|author=Joel 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. By early 2009, Drudge earned millions of dollars a year, travelled extensively (], ], ]), had moved to another property in Miami and become reclusive, communicating regularly only with a select group that included ], ], and ].<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=33037aaf-848f-4b79-8a75-34d6c793457e&p=2
|title=Underground Man
|publisher=www.tnr.com
|accessdate=2009-04-22
|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> In 2003 he named his one indulgence, apart from travel, as his ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/16/1063625009939.html |title=Pushing others' news for profit - smh.com.au |publisher=smh.com.au |accessdate=2009-10-04 | date=2003-09-16}}</ref>


===Political views=== ===Political views===
{{Quote box |width=30em | bgcolor=#e3e5e5 |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."<ref name="billion" />|source = — ''The Drudge Report'', Matt Drudge, on reaching one billion page views, 2002}} {{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&nbsp;– 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 =&nbsp;–''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 news|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 | location=London | date=2008-02-28}}</ref> champions himself as free from corporate influences.<ref name="billion">{{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 news| 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 | location=London}}</ref> }}


===Comments by journalists=== ===Comments by journalists===
Drudge has been called "the ] of his era" by ] and ],<ref name="waytowin"/> "an idiot with a ]" by ],<ref name="wapopundit">{{cite news| last = Kurtz| first = Howard| title = MSNBC Pundit Rises With Clinton Crises| pages = E1| publisher = Washington Post| date = 1998-09-15| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/olbermann091598.htm| accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref> "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| publisher = New York Times| date = 1997-08-17| url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0E12FF385B0C748DDDA10894DF494D81| accessdate = 2006-10-30 }}</ref> and ] 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|accessdate=2006-12-15|publisher=CNN.com| date=2002-05-06}}</ref> According to ], he is "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| publisher = Salon.com| date = 1998-09-01| url = http://archive.salon.com/col/pagl/1998/09/01pagl2.html| accessdate = 2006-10-04 }}</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| accessdate = 2010-07-23| date = 1998-11| url = http://www.brillscontent.com/features/cryer_1198.html |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20000819015036/http://www.brillscontent.com/features/cryer_1198.html |archivedate = 2000-08-19}}</ref> 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 and notes== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*
* - MP3 archive and podcast of Matt Drudge's Sunday evening radio show *
* {{C-SPAN|49776}}
* (since Nov. 2001)
* {{IMDb name|1002654}}
*
*
*{{imdb name|id=1002654|name=Matt Drudge}}

{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 17:53, 3 January 2025

American internet journalist and talk radio host

Matt Drudge
Drudge in 1996
BornMatthew 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
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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 Report

Drudge 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 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."

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

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

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

  1. ^ Rasmussen Reports (2019). "Matt Drudge May No Longer Be Editor of Drudge Report". Retrieved December 8, 2019 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ 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. ^ 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. ^ "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. ^ 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. ^ 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.

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