Raw Story takes on Drudge Report

Cambridge Chronicle (MA) ^ | March 18, 2004 | Lesley Savage

[lainie]

Matt Drudge, meet John Byrne and Jesse Kanson-Benanav.

The two recent college grads are hoping to give the famous Drudge Report a run for its money with their new alternative news Web site, the Raw Story.

Byrne, 22, of Cambridge, and Kanson-Benanav, 23, of Jamaica Plain, launched the liberal news Web site (www.rawstory.com) in January. They founded the site as an alternative news directory to provide interesting and relevant news stories aimed at the "left-leaning market."

"At the core, our goal is to unearth and spotlight stories underplayed by the popular press, in particular those which highlight betterment and open people's eyes to the injustice throughout the world," said Byrne in the site's mission statement.

Modeled after the Drudge Report, Byrne and Kanson-Benanav seek out stories of interest from around the world. The site is updated throughout the day, and stories link to national and international news ranging in topics from politics and business to arts and entertainment, as well as selected editorials.

"Media conglomerate Web sites are boring cookie-cutter news sources," said Kanson-Benanav. "We are trying to provide a real alternative online."

The two Oberlin College graduates, who worked on a college newspaper together, wanted to provide a liberal option to the relatively conservative Drudge Report, as well as traditional news sites such as CNN.com and MSNBC.

A unique aspect of the site is the wide net cast for news sources. They include the Boston Globe, the Jerusalem Post, Al Jazeera, the BBC, Time Asia and E! Online, among others.

However, they also welcome exclusive stories and content as well. They invite budding writers from around the world to share their work through editorials and news coverage.

"We provide a forum for 20-something writers who can't focus full time to get their foot in the door," said Byrne. "People who have been censored won't be turned down here."

The site currently has 2,500 unique viewers and receives about 50,000 hits a day, Byrne said. However, Byrne and Kanson-Benanav, who work out of their homes, are confident that if more people knew about Raw Story, they would get a lot more traffic.

"I believe that if everyone knew about the site, everyone would go to it," said Kanson-Benanav.

The Web site is sustained through online advertising, as well as an online store that sells Raw Story paraphernalia emblazoned with the slogan "I like it raw." However, they have not seen the fruits of their labor yet. They pay themselves 50 cents an hour, and are not yet able to pay their freelance writers.

However, these two young entrepreneurs are not looking to make millions right away or get as rich as Matt Drudge; their main priority is to increase their exposure and hopefully one day get an office.

"We don't need $8 million a year like Matt Drudge," said Byrne, "just enough to pay our rent and groceries."

[lainie]

This is amusing because, among other reasons,

1. It's NOT modeled after drudgereport.com, because it if were, it wouldn't resemble cnn.com, abcnews.com, cbsnews.com, etc.

2. They don't understand that you can find their content at hundreds of other websites already, and

3. It takes forever to load.

Their current headlines include:

"NASA: Mars rover rests on ancient salty beach"

and

"Xero: How to shoot your own 'live' adult video"

[prion]

Yes, I just checked it out. It's just another portal...

[Naspino]

I opened my site less than a month ago and I have over 14,000 unique visitors. What do I win?

[King Black Robe]

"Xero: How to shoot your own 'live' adult video"

A liberal's idea of news. Judging from what I read about college curriculum these days, it's also a liberal's idea of education.

[South40]

You're right; it does take forever to load.

And I couldn't help but notice one of their front page stories:

"Cooking with Kim Jong Il"

Is that a cooking show? And, if so, who's his first guest...his good buddy, John F'n Kerry?

[Bonny Dick]

"relevant news stories aimed at the "left-leaning market."

The mainstream press already has that market over saturated.

[Qwinn]

Personally, I think it's just silly to call Drudge a "conservative web site". I've never seen a single thing that makes me believe that site leans conservative. Drudge himself, on the radio, may sound conservative, but there's been many times I've gone to his web site and I'd swear it was run by liberals.

Qwinn

[Porterville]

I thought that is what CNN.com and abcnews.com and antiwar.com and nbcnews.com and slate.com and newyorktimes.com and latimes.com .....

[lainie]

oh, and they sell stuff at cafepress:

[rhombus]

Will they get harassed by lawyers the way Drudge was?

[txjeep]

I don't think these young idealists understand that what makes Drudge, Fox News, and other "conservative" outlets successful is that they actually present the both sides of a story. All the left-leaning stuff is already beaten to death in the mainstream press so a liberal Drudge type website has no value to anyone. Do they think they will actually be able to sell advertising? I don't think so.

[zygoat]

A leftwing Grudgereport-based on your description of their content thus far, they have no idea how to proceed. Kind of like Kerry.

[Political Junkie Too]

I can't wait to see them whine when their first lawsuit from reckless reporting hits.

Drudge had a few of those, but survived. If these guys are truly left-leaning, then they will claim a plot by the right to shut them down on trumped up charges.

-PJ

[Shannon]

I checked it out. All I needed to see was "how to shoot your own live adult video" and I knew it wasn't a site for me. Then to see a headline right under the burning towers about Bush cutting Al Qaeda funding prior to 9/11 made me wonder if they have an agenda. Maybe they're trying to draw in young democrats. Who knows. Yawn.

[lainie]

ping

[txjeep]

One more thing... When I first accessed the site, my spybot blocker went crazy. Just like a bunch liberals, trying to collect private info. and install adware.

They are also probably looking at their hit count from Freepers and thinking they are making a difference for liberals everywhere!

[Jinjelsnaps]

Did anyone actually read into that article? Here's a choice paragraph:

"I am in a chic film school lecture hall, the lone gal in a glut of aspiring auteurs here for the class, "How To Shoot Your Own Live Adult Video — For Fun Or Profit!" ('Live' as opposed to…?) My boyfriend, Aap, has squired me to this sanctum of learning, half due to his courtly Afrikaans manners, half due to a macabre curiosity about Teacher Dave that I stoked in case the manners thing didn't work. This bio did the trick:"

First question - how do you pronounce "Aap?" Second question - What in God's name is an "Afrikaan," and what are Afrikaan manners like? Third question...ARE THEY OUT OF THEIR BLOODY MINDS WITH THIS GARBAGE???

*SIGH*

[Dane]

Sheesh lainie, is Drudge worried about the competition?

As Drudge's official Monica like sycophant on FR, you seemed to be worried.

I could really care less about Drudge or his competition.

[observer5]

All the LIBERAL CRAP they want to post is already plastered all over CNNABCNBCXYZBLABLAH

What goofs.

[StriperSniper]

Thanks, I was just looking at this. They are a far cry from being worthy of being compared to Matt. ;-)

"Xero: How to shoot your own 'live' adult video"

I don't need no stinkin' article to show me, I have lots of friends to call with real experience. ;-)