The Impact of a New Media Revolutionary
Chris K Daley
In 1991 Andrew Breitbart was working as a waiter after he had barely managed to graduate from college. In 2011 he was hijacking the press conference of a United States Congressman and forcing him to resign from office. How did Breitbart manage to transform his life over that 20-year span to become a conservative activist who exercised such an impact? Becoming Breitbart seeks to answer that question by digging deeply into his professional life. With Breitbart’s death on March 1, 2012, the obituaries and retrospectives of his life focused on his prominent role in conservative politics. Mostly overlooked was Breitbart’s role in Drudge Report and The Huffington Post, two of the most important news websites. Becoming Breitbart concentrates on Breitbart’s evolution into a New Media powerhouse. How did Breitbart’s relationships with Matt Drudge and Arianna Huffington lead him to success? What tactics did he use to achieve his political victories over ACORN and Anthony Weiner? Becoming Breitbart attempts to gauge Andrew Breitbart’s legacy. What was his impact on the media and on politics? What lessons can be drawn from his life?