Synopsis
In their rush to declare a "dot-corn bust," mass media have ignored the rise of a powerful new class of Internet news moguls, who havebootstrapped their way to the top with small staffs, hard work, scarce capital, and virtually no publicity. These conservative-oriented newssites, including NewsMax, WorldNetDaily, DnidgeReport, FreeRepublic, and others, boast millions of subscribers and readers everymonth and solid, money-making business models. Meanwhile, some of the more mainstream media sites like Salon.com have bled cash formore than a year. What gave rise to the conservative Internet, and what are their secrets to making money that the big media haven'tfigured out?In THE NEW UNDERGROUND, author and journalist Richard Poe investigates the phenomenal rise of conservative news Web sites thatvirtually burst on the scene at the same moment Bill Clinton was inaugurated as president for the first time. And what he uncovers is anoverarching trend of public distrust of mainstream media that has caused people to turn off their televisions and click on the conservativeInternet. Similar to Thomas Paine's pamphleteering during the American Revolution, and the counter-culture SoHo and Berkeley pressesduring the cultural revolution of the '60s, the members of THE NEW UNDERGROUND appeal to readers who want information that isignored by mainstream media and opinions that are unpopular in New York and Hollywood.Richard uses first-hand interviews with key players in the conservative media circles, including Chris Ruddy (CEO and president ofNewsMax.corn). Matt Drudge (founder of DrudgeReport.com), and David Horowitz (founder of FrontPageMag.com) to tell how their sitesbecame so popular. This is a story that is one part business success and one part documentary of a growing cultural movement, and it issure to appeal to conservatives, libertarians, and anyone who studies mass media and pop culture.