What does it say about our political press if they are the dog and Drudge the tail that wags it?

[DeepModem Mom]

WP political blog, "The Fix," by Chris Cillizza
How Matt Drudge Rules the (Political) World

There's little debate that Matt Drudge and his eponymous website sit at the junction of politics and journalism in the modern media age.

This observation is not new. John F. Harris, editor-in-chief of Politico, and Mark Halperin, author of "The Page" at time.com, dedicated a significant segment of their book "The Way to Win" to the unique influence Drudge wields over American politics. New York magazine's Phillip Weiss wrote a lengthy but well worth reading profile of Drudge last year. And Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin -- both of Politico -- offered their own examination of Drudge's reach during the Democratic primary in a piece last month.

And yet, for anyone who follows the day in, day out nitty-gritty of campaign politics (as we do) it is well worth reminding yourself of how much power Drudge has to push a particular storyline or a broader narrative in the race. Witness the maelstrom set off by a Drudge headline posted last evening that blared: "CHICAGO SLAPDOWN: REV. JESSE JACKSON SAYS OBAMA TALKING DOWN TO BLACKS."...

***

"Drudge has become center court at Wimbledon," said Alex Castellanos, a Republican media consultant and adviser to former governor Mitt Romney's presidential bid. "If it doesn't happen there, it doesn't happen."

What explains Drudge's reach?

In interviews with more than a dozen operatives -- many of whom are rightly classified "Drudge-ologists" for their intimate study of the likes and dislikes of the man and the site -- two major reasons are offered.

First and foremost, is the depth -- and the quality -- of Drudge's readership. Drudge's number of unique visitors is regularly touted but what is more important, in terms of his ability to drives news cycles, is that every reporter and editor who covers politics is checking the site multiple times a day....The second major reason for Drudge's influence, according to the Fix's informal poll of Drudge-ologists is his ability to sniff out a potentially big story when others -- including reporters -- miss it at first glance....

Kevin Madden, a Republican operative now with the Glover Park Group, said that Drudge's site serves as a "national political assignment editor of sorts for those covering the campaign trail." Katie Levinson, former communications director for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, echoed Madden's sentiment: "The Drudge Report has become the must-read for TV anchors and radio personalities before they go on air, for bookers sorting out what's 'newsy' in a non-stop news cycle, and for political candidates looking to avoid getting blindsided by the press."...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/07/how_matt_drudge_rules_the_poli.html

[jody]

1. Drudge is that little brown circle beneath a dog's tail. n/t

[notesdev]

2. It says...

... that they are so bad at their professions that a two-bit amateur with a website run on technology that was ancient in 1998 is kicking their sorry butts.

When journalism went from "who what when where why and how" to infotainment, it was inevitable that someone would come along, offer a basic no-frills product at a production cost they couldn't dream of matching, and eat their lunch.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Yep. And why can't they find stories themselves, or even recognize stories when they see them?

Laziness? Just not interested, if Drudge will do it for them? What the heck?

[notesdev]

6. Laziness would almost excuse it

but it's not laziness, it's incompetence.

The media industry hasn't practiced actual journalism for so long that they wouldn't recognize it if it slapped them in the face with a trout.

[spin]

4. I wonder if the major news networks are controlled by...

corporate interests, while Drudge is independent.

Perhaps the corporate masters restrict many stories which Drudge breaks. Once exposed to the light of day on his website, the "cat being out of the bag", other news organizations start reporting the story.

Of course, people with agendas can leak stories to Drudge and get the attention they want to story to receive. I suspect Drudge has his own bias and often ignores stories and promotes others which agree with his viewpoints. If so, he appears careful to avoid being either too right or left wing.

I've always checked the Drudge Report as my first news stop in the morning followed by DU. Often I read news on his site that will appear in the main stream media the following day.

The news he posts is sometimes incorrect, but the fact that his power is growing indicates that over all he does a excellent job as a reporter.

Overall, I feel his site provides a quick and dirty spotlight on the news of the day. In less than five minutes viewers have a good idea of what's happening in the world. That's probably the big attraction.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. That's an interesting thought. And I admit I check Drudge -- although only once a day. nt

[spin]

8. I have to admit I check it at least five times a day...

but I'm retired with plenty of time to waste.

When I was working I also checked the site while at work. My bosses were upset and complained a lot, but since I wasn't looking at porn, making bids on ebay or playing computer games they could merely give me bad reviews. (They would have anyway, since they were trying to force older employees to leave so that they could hire younger employees, pay them less and also not have to deal with things like 30 days of vacation.)

I had fun frustrating them so I am sure they breathed a sigh of relief when I decided to take early retirement and their pension plan and leave.

[kpominville]

7. Drudge is just a blogger

Bloggers like to call themselves "independent journalists".