Jonathan Weisman Doesn’t Do Drudge
Posted on 09. Sep, 2009 by fdc in Famous for DC, Front Page, Local, Politics
Gillian Reagan wonders: has Matt Drudge lost his edge?
New York Observer: Are the Days of Drudge Over?
Jonathan Weisman, who covers the Obama administration for The Wall Street Journal, seemed to back up that idea. “Matt Drudge has no influence whatsoever,” he said. “When Drudge picks up one of our stories, it’s incredible. It lights up the boards; all of a sudden, it’s the most linked-to story on the Web site.” Yet the uptick in clicks doesn’t really register as success—it’s almost like a bubble. When his editor notes that a story has crazy traffic on The Journal’s site, Mr. Weisman shrugs. “I’m like, ‘Eh, it’s because it was linked on Drudge,’” he said.
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In terms of looking for scoops or insider news on his own beat, Mr. Weisman looks elsewhere. “I’ll actually go to the Huffington Post to see if they’re floating something,” he said.
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larry
11. Sep, 2009
Reporters are a lot like politicians– they get immersed in the technicalities that the average joes don’t really give a rats ass about. Drudge’s power is in controlling what’s popular and bringing to light things that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. If people don’t think that’s powerful then they ought to ask George Allan about the definition of the word macacca…. one word, one youtube, with the right medium can really change the dynamics a multi-million political race, of a corporate strategy, etc., etc.