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Drudge Breaks White House Embargo
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ShareJanuary 24, 2007 12:31 PM
Once again flouting decades of tradition, Internet maverick Matt Drudge broke the gentleman's agreement last night between the White House and the Washington press corps by posting the full text of the president's State of the Union address 40 minutes before it was delivered.
"The days of the button-down, follow-the-rules White House press corps are long over," American University Journalism Professor Alicia Shepard told ABC News.
As is customary, the advance text of the president's speech was delivered to major news organizations at 8:21 p.m. last night with the instructions, "EMBARGOED – this cannot be used until delivery at 9:01:30PM EDT." But within minutes, Matt Drudge posted the full text on his popular news Web site "The Drudge Report."
When ABC News' Ann Compton notified the White House Press Office of the Drudge posting, her call was returned with the instructions, "Do what you have to do." The White House did not officially lift the embargo, but Compton says, "They knew the horse was already out of the barn."
"The Internet, as we all know, changes everything. The only way the White House can punish Drudge -- or any reporters who don't follow the embargo protocol -- is to deny them access. Matt Drudge does just fine without a White House press pass," said Professor Shepard.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
It is not known how Drudge obtained his advance copy of the State of the Union address last night, but "embargoed" copies of the president's speeches are distributed to a list of several hundred in addition to the White House Press Corps.
Earlier this month, Drudge also broke the embargo on the president's Iraq War speech.
Drudge didn't respond to requests for comment from ABC News this morning but recently has been heard to boast on his Sunday night radio show, "That's what we do here at the Drudge Report. We break embargoes."
Concerning the broken embargo, the White House told ABC News, "We have thousands of people on our distribution list, and it's hard police the embargo."
As for whether they will no longer be e-mailing advanced copies of speeches, they have "nothing to announce right now."
January 24, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (180)
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Big deal, someone gave it to Drudge and he posted it. Blame the middle man or the White House, but not Drudge. The WH should not give out advanced copies if they don't want it leaked. And, obviously they can no longer trust that at least 1 on their list of a few hundred won't pass it over to Drudge. This is newsworthy?
Posted by: Brian | Jan 24, 2007 3:01:57 PM
Why is this even a story? I mean it's not like he went to print with a story about a top secret national security program.
Posted by: Brad | Jan 24, 2007 3:02:03 PM
Looks like the traditional media can't break a story - but rather sit on info when they know its real news (i.e. jfk cheating on jackie, mcgreevey being gay).
Posted by: bob | Jan 24, 2007 3:02:05 PM
Eggman is a lost cause of the GOP.
Posted by: Fred | Jan 24, 2007 3:02:14 PM
The fact remains, however, that what Drudge posted was the truth. When I surf for news, all I am really concerned about is the truth, not some "gentleman's agreement" between the buddy-buddy media conglomerates. The poster above is right, though, in one respect. Why is this even a story?
Posted by: matrixarchitect | Jan 24, 2007 3:03:42 PM
I couldn't agree more. Drudge is well known for altering headlines to serve the right, linking "news" to his own site to inflate clicks and for going soft on any right wing politician unless it serves his purposes not to. This man is no journalist....he should be writing for toilet mags. Next, please.
Posted by: MattStooge | Jan 24, 2007 3:05:48 PM
Another reason why I read Drudge and don't bother with the dinosaur media such as ABC and others of like ilk.
Posted by: James A. Webster | Jan 24, 2007 3:06:23 PM
Who cares if his pre-written speech was released moments before he read it aloud to the American people?! What is the big deal? It isn't like he said anything worth noting anyway. Why is this even news?
Posted by: me | Jan 24, 2007 3:12:52 PM
The Internet has broken the monopoly of news traditionally held by the media elites. Why should the media elites get a copy before the smaller publications/ lesser known journalists? We need more like Drudge, and less like CNN/ABC/NBC/CBS, which all report the same spin in lockstep with each other...
Posted by: WayToGoDrudge! | Jan 24, 2007 3:13:13 PM
They're just sore, because "EMBARGOED" is the secret handshake, wink, and nod for liberalists --- I mean "journalists".
They don't spill their own secrets.
Posted by: ernest | Jan 24, 2007 3:13:22 PM
If Drudge doesn't get a copy(from the source), then he has no responsibility to abide by any embargo.
Posted by: D | Jan 24, 2007 3:14:27 PM
Why do the 'legitimate media' get an advance copy of any speech to begin with? Well, so the WH Press can go have a 'hot toddy' downtown and have time to submit their scathing attacks... oops... I mean expert analysis of the speech as if they had actually heard it.
I, for one, believe the press should get NO advance copies of anything, should have to make transcriptions their own lazy selves, and perhaps we'd get the chance as Americans to hear it at the same time that everone else gets to. It hightens the anticipation, helps the remarks make more of an impact, and stops the so-called experts from quoting snippets of the speech before the actual speech.
LET THE STORY HAPPEN! Viewers will gladly watch the results as they unfold, rather than sucking up the handfed drivel from anchors who wouldn't know a new inititive if it bit em' in the keester.
Posted by: Chuckles | Jan 24, 2007 3:18:05 PM
When you are so fed up with so called "journalists" such as the dinosaur main media, why should anyone be suprised they find stories of intrest and breaking real news on Drudge?
Posted by: Windclimber | Jan 24, 2007 3:19:51 PM
Your the man Matt! Question Rhonda... in the old days would they have stopped the presses for this story?
Posted by: Pah | Jan 24, 2007 3:20:51 PM
I think it's funny how quick people are to criticise when they are not the benefit of someone breaking the rules. All you libs who hate Drudge, would you have wished the Pentagon Papers been witheld 'for the publics good' and because the administration asked you nicely? No. You all started this, don't act like Drudge was the first.
Posted by: Eric | Jan 24, 2007 3:22:21 PM
ANN COMPTON (?) felt it necessary to tattle to the White House Press Office?
How sad her life must be as a self-appointed journalism-cop.
Who, in this day and age, would be surprised that Drudge scooped everybody.
Noone will admit it but EVERYONE checks out The Drudge Report first.
Fail to do so at your own risk.
Posted by: usaflagwaver | Jan 24, 2007 3:23:10 PM
VIVA LA DRUDGE!!
Posted by: bILL | Jan 24, 2007 3:23:28 PM
It's Bushs fault!
Posted by: tora bora | Jan 24, 2007 3:33:03 PM
Thank God for Matt Drudge. Without
him we would never have known about the little blue dress Monica wore.
Posted by: Tom | Jan 24, 2007 3:33:13 PM
This one is so easy it defies any
further description, despite re-
ports to the contrary! News is
news irregardless of the timing.
If anybody thinks Mattman is going
to be stopped, think again. He's
the ultimate veteran of the info-
web and he gives both sides of all
the stories.
Posted by: Paul Martens | Jan 24, 2007 3:40:53 PM
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