Drudge Manifesto (Hardcover)

by Matt Drudge (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Working from a small apartment in Hollywood, Matt Drudge became one of the country's most notorious journalists when he reported that Newsweek had spiked a story about a sexual relationship between President Clinton and a certain White House intern. Of course, there are many (mostly professional reporters) who argue that Drudge should not be labeled a journalist at all, and it is upon this issue that the Drudge Manifesto is based. As Drudge notes, he has "no budget, no bosses, no deadline," and as a result of this independence he is both feared and reviled, admired and respected. Ostracized by the establishment he may be, but his popular appeal is undeniable: the Drudge Report Web site received over 240 million hits in 1999, and the numbers are rising. Members of the White House staff check in daily, as do many of the media elite who viciously denounce Drudge in public. Like it or not, he has become a force in Internet journalism.

Drudge collaborated with Julia "You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again" Phillips to produce a writing style that reads like a breathless and often disjointed e-mail. But the book is a vehicle for ideas, not sparkling prose, and its value lies in Drudge's assessment of the current state of the media as well as his take on its future. One of the most interesting (and certainly the clearest) parts is a transcript of a Q&A session conducted at the National Press Club on June 2, 1998, which lays out Drudge's manifesto better than the book itself. The NPC is hostile territory for Drudge, and, unsurprisingly, he is grilled by moderator Doug Harbrecht. In the end, Drudge makes a strong and thoughtful case for his methods and his right to be a reporter. And he gets in plenty of zingers of his own: "You know, these questions are pretty tough, and I think if you directed this type of tough questioning to the White House, there'd be no need for someone like me, quite frankly."

This is also a chance for Drudge to sound off. He boasts of beating CNN (by eight minutes) to the announcement of Princess Diana's death; of being the first to report Bob Dole's selection of Jack Kemp as his running mate; of his scoop of the Microsoft-NBC merger. He replays the events surrounding his decision to release the Lewinsky information on January 17, 1998 (the book is dedicated to Linda R. Tripp), and volunteers his favorite Web sites and sources. His book is not only a manifesto but a manual for anyone interested in following his lead. "With a modem, a phone jack, and an inexpensive computer, your newsroom can be your living room, your bedroom... your bathroom, if you're so inclined," he writes. In today's media climate, that's the way it is. --Shawn Carkonen

From The Washington Post
"Matt Drudge is the buzz of the media-industrial complex."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: NAL Hardcover; 3rd edition (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451201507
• ISBN-13: 978-0451201508
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #704,731 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drudge & Philips tell it like they see it, October 4, 2000

By	Dan Baker (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In a world where people are afraid to speak out against the big journalistic machine, it is refreshing to read a book that puts it all on the line. I couldn't put it down. It is an easy (but thought provoking) read. If you have halfabrain you won't want to miss this edgy manifesto co-written by Hollywood legend Julia Philips.

75 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An engaging muddle, October 4, 2000

By	Jussi Bjorling (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

As anyone familiar with Matt Drudge's work might expect, this book is something of a mishmash. Drudge regales the reader with anecdotes from his reporting over the last several years, mixed in with a healthy dose of his theories of politics and the media. The result can be a little overbearing, as Drudge frequently and fondly refers to himself as one of the great journalistic pioneers of our era, but when his ego is in check, he can be extremely thoughtful (presenting, for example, an innovative approach to the responsibilities of journalism and how they have already been compromised by others). The dirt he has dug up in the course of his work is also great reading.

147 of 164 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!!, October 4, 2000

By A Customer

Matt's book should be required reading for every high school political science class; but, it never will be. Terrific insight into the motivational factors behind U.S. politics and this year's election. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the press and what it chooses to report.