Several readers and a talk show host have emailed us over the past few months asking: “Do you know of a centrist alternative to The Drudge Report?”
The answer is a resounding “YES!” It’s the Dilby News Monitor — a site set up exactly like you-know-who’s with some differences. It gives you all of the latest links, is updated often, and even has the same layout. The differences are:
- It has a lot more information on it, including streaming videos, 800 numbers you can use — just a TON of info that goes beyond breaking news. It is a superb REFERENCE SITE as well as a NEWS site.
- It doesn’t run “excuslive” reports that later mysteriously vanish off the site without a word if they are proven incorrect (remember the post on Drudge about how Hillary would rock the political world by becoming John Kerry’s running mate?).
- It doesn’t seem to be pushing any specific political agenda, except presenting info and attracting readers. The you-know-what-report is clearly pegged to one viewpoint.
That’s not to say Dilby News Monitor hasn’t posted some highly controversial items. It has — in a big way. But if you read it several times a day it will EASILY replace the other site.
We did an email interview with the Oklahoma-based Digby, who is a senior at a university. Here are our questions and his answers:
When did you start the news monitor?
I started The Dilby News Monitor around March of ’04 but Dilby gained popularity around the time Nick Berg was beheaded and that’s where my website took off and gained online publicity. I was one of the first to post the video, and my site was swarmed with visitors.
Why did you start it?
I started Dilby in March of 2004 but that’s not where I, personally, made my mark on the Internet. I was also one of the first sites to post the name and picture of Kobe Bryant’s accuser. I won’t take full credit for it, but my site was definitely a driving force behind posting her home address, information, picture, etc. I remember doing an interview with USAToday and after that I was flooded with hatemail, very graphic hatemail.
Why did you pick the Drudge design?
I picked the Drudge template or design because it’s raw and in your face. It’s low on graphics and it loads a lot faster than traditional news sites. What Matt Drudge did was nothing new back when he started his site, but he was the only one that made a simple page very popular.
How your site similar to Drudge’s?
My site is similar to The Drudge Report in several ways but it varies a lot. Again, our templates are the same and we both love breaking news and gossip, but I have a desire to be the moderate individual. I sometimes agree with former Kerry supporters, but sometimes I agree with The Bush Administration. I want to maintain a balance of news for conservatives, liberals, moderates and other mainstream thinkers.
How does it differ from Drudge’s?
My site differs and has an edge on Drudge because my site remains impartial and unprejudiced. I hate it when people say I’m at war with The Drudge Report and the reality is that I have a lot of respect for Matt’s site and that’s why I used his popular template. I even have a link to his site on www.dilby.com. In fact, I encourage Matt to contact me if need be, because it wouldn’t hurt to have another good source for news and gossip.
The main difference is that I allow my visitors to react with me on Dilby and they can browse a number of links to convenience their online experience. If you notice, my site combines the functions of www.drudgereport.com and www.refdesk.com. You can use Dilby as a reference and a news site. Dilby grabs the latest CNN, FOXNEWS, MSNBC, AP, Reuters and many other sources, thus eliminating the need to visit each individual site everyday.
What inspired you do to your website?
First, Matt Drudge. Second, the presidential election.
Is this your first website? First blog? If not, what other ones did you do?
No this isn’t my first website. My freshman year I owned an auction website then I shut it down for no reason. My first real site was a news and gossip column by myself and that’s then I released Kobe’s accuser’s information. I let that site go and it belongs to someone else; I wish not to share the domain name.
Approximately how many readers did you start with? What are up to now?
This is a tough one. When I started sometimes I would get up to 15,000 pageviews, but over the summer and throughout the election Dilby wasn’t a main source of news. As of right now, I have on average about 2500 pageviews a day, which isn’t impressive at all but I’m doing this for my loyal fans who contribute news and their opinion on www.dilby.com. Big news days equal bigger audiences.
Are there any special posts you did that created a splash on the internet or in the mainstream media? If so, what?
This is the section where I have to spill the beans about things that America is not so proud of. First, I posted the Kobe’s assusers information. Then, I posted the Nick Berg beheading video. Third, I published Paris Hilton’s cellphone address book and information even though I wasn’t the only site. Fourth, I posted the name, home address, and number of Judge George Greer in the Terri Schiavo case, thus making him and his family go into hiding. I’ve been on the net, most just haven’t heard of me. I broke the Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes marriage proposal before any site even the AP, but no one gave me credit; it’s okay.
Why did you run those things?
It’s what people on my site wanted. Would it give me national coverage, yes, and that was also a factor in my decision.
How do you plan to get your message out in the future?
Word of mouth and possibly a news content deal with a news agency or popular blog. If someone would like to contact me about this they can email [email protected] to apply. Anyone from a new site like USAToday, New York Times to the average blog can apply.
Where do you think your site is politically and how does it differ from Drudge’s?
Again, my site is a niche for moderates, centrists, reformist, Drudge fans, and the average news junkie. Politically, Dilby serves the online community by bringing political news onto one site.
What was your goal for your site when it began? How did that change? What is the goal for the future?
The goal of www.dilby.com from the beginning was to get the latest headlines and stories. It’s a site I believe people can adapt to if they throw away the flashy red and blue graphics. The goal of Dilby hasn’t changed and it will always remain the same. The goal is to have at least one million pageviews by the start of 2006, then I can say that I’m truly competing for Drudge Report traffic. I like The Drudge Report and it has been my inspiration to create www.dilby.com for people who want more than just one view. Why would I dislike a site when I have a link to it at the top of my site in clear view?
The Dilby News Monitor is also known as www.foxknews.com.
FOOTNOTE: We will do another feature post on another Drudge Report alternative next week.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.