Matt Drudge doesn’t give many interviews, but he spoke with Washington, D.C., radio station WTOP Friday. How did that happen?
“It was a bit of good timing and good fortune,” WTOP Program Director Laurie Cantillo tells Poynter in an email. “Drudge is a radio geek who has great respect for WTOP.”
Drudge in 1998. (AP Photo/Brian K. Diggs)
Drudge grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, a suburb of D.C. (During his interview he said D.C. is now “so vibrant. This is the center, this is the heartbeat of the nation, for good or bad.”)
Cantillo writes that Drudge emailed last week to say he would be in town and that he wanted to see WTOP’s fabled “Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center.” He toured the newsroom and then “sat in the main studio with our afternoon anchors, Shawn Anderson and Hillary Howard.” She continues:
He asked many questions about how they juggle so many things at once: anchoring, interviewing, operating the board, and paying attention to social media. He was fascinated by the multi-tasking. Eventually we asked if he’d like to come on the air for a few minutes. He paused half a beat and said yes. It was organic and spontaneous.
WTOP is a trusted and respected news organization with a balanced approach to our coverage. Unlike many news organizations, we’re not out to advance a political point of view. Our mission is to provide our listeners with accurate and unbiased coverage by going directly to the source.
We regularly interview politicians and analysts from both sides of the aisle. Guests trust that while WTOP will ask the tough and necessary questions, it won’t be an ambush interview or an interview with an agenda.
Related: “Press-Shy Matt Drudge Opens Up About Good Posture” (Jim Romenesko)
