The Drudge Report is an online news aggregator website run by Matt Drudge. The site was started in 1999 by Matt Drudge as a tool for increasing traffic to his then up and coming web site on the internet. Although the initial traffic boost is believed to be one of the primary driving forces behind the site’s success, it is currently ranked as the 4th most visited website on the entire internet. Traffic to the Drudge Report increases on a daily basis from its regular content updates.
Matt Drudge is one of the most prominent conservative supporters of the Tea Party movement and a strong supporter of President Bush. He has been quoted as saying that he would vote for the re-election of President Bush if he were able to. In terms of his political coverage, Drudge tends to focus more on conservative and Republican news aggregators and members of talk radio than he does liberal or democratic news aggregators. Other than his own news aggregator, the Drudge Report also features news content from a number of other prominent conservative websites including The New York Times, Washington Times, Fox News, Financial Times, Slate, Talking Points Memo, and CNN.
The Drudge Report consistently features some of the most popular conservative news stories of the day. In its 4th anniversary celebration, the Drudge Report revealed that in the first year of operation, the Drudge Report had received over three million unique visitors. This makes the Drudge Report one of the most visited conservative websites on the internet. While this particular statistic may seem impressive to many, the real question to ask is whether or not Drudge is actually the most visited conservative web site on the internet or whether it is just the flagship of one of several dozen conservative web sites.
As far as political coverage goes, the Drudge Report receives heavy coverage from major conservative outlets including: Fox News, Fox Business, The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, CNN, and numerous others. While many people read The Drudge Report every day, the Drudge Report was not designed specifically to be a conservative blog. The website received its roots in the work of political journalist Robert Conquest. During the presidential election in 1988, Conquest co-founded the conservative blog called Redneck Politics. After leaving the site, Redneck Politics became the direct home of conservative provocateur Rush Limbaugh.
The rise of the Drudge Report coincides with the rise of conservatism in the United States. With the election of President Bush in January of 2024, the Democrats suffered a historic defeat. After Bush’s term ended, Democrats were struggling to gain any sort of a following amongst voters. In an effort to increase their support, many members of both parties reached out to the general public in search of a new home based media outlet. A new phenomenon arose with the formation of what is known as the Tea Party, which spanned across much of the country.
With the rise of the Tea Party, the Drudge Report became a direct recipient of much of the mainstream media’s attention during this tumultuous time for the White House and it became an influential conservative news websites. Many critics have viewed the Drudge Report as nothing more than an attempt by the President to divert the blame away from his dismal performance. Others view the Drudge Report as a tool to help boost conservative support among voters. Regardless of the criticism, the Drudge Report has proven itself to be an influential force on the right side of the political spectrum for years to come.
