Hand picked headlines…Good or Bad?
Let’s examine one of the most popular websites ever created{1}
What is the “Drudge Report”?
The Drudge Report is a news aggregation site run by Matt Drudge. Basically, Matt and staff collect headlines from other sources and then post said headlines on his site as clickable links leading back to the original source.
Occasionally Matt and crew will write their own headlines based on tips.
Why Should I Care?
Like it or not, The Drudge Report has a huge, huge influence in the world of news today. Many times he will pick up relatively unknown stories and because he posts said story on his website, it gets picked up by all the major press outlets on various mediums including television and radio.
How news is reported and what news gets reported should be of concern for all Americans for a plethora of reasons…as it can influence almost all facets of society from politics to fashion.
Drudge “Pros”
As aforementioned, Matt Drudge has picked up stories from relatively small unknown sources, posted them on his site, and given them way more attention than they would have ever received. Using his influence and the instant nature of the internet, he can also report breaking stories and get them picked up quickly.
From a news consumer standpoint, it is a good site to visit to get up to the minute headlines from a variety of sources as well…allowing news consumers to stay aware of the most current news stories without having to trudge through mountains of text.
Drudge “Cons”
As with any man, Matt Drudge has a point of view and a political position. He can (and sometimes does) use this influence to swing the media in a direction he sees fit.
Also, he is not a journalist and therefore is not held to the same standards as one…yet he has more influence in the world of journalism than just about any journalist out there today.
In Conclusion
The Drudge report is a popular and sometimes controversial site when it comes to news. I personally use the report to keep up with what is going on in the world today…but I use it in conjunction with other, legit news sources to maintain an equal balance in the world of news.
Until next time…
1. According to Alexa.Com accessed on Aug 25th, 2010, DrudgeReport.Com is the #428th most popular blog worldwide and ranked #84 in the U.S.
