Matt Drudge broke the Lewinsky story — and the media gatekeepers

This article is part of The Poynter 50, a series reflecting on 50 moments and people that shaped journalism over the past half-century — and continue to influence its future. […]

In January 1998, Newsweek had the story of a lifetime.

White House intern Monica Lewinsky and President Bill Clinton had begun a secret sexual relationship in 1995, when Lewinsky was 22. After being transferred to the Pentagon the following year, she confided in a coworker, Linda Tripp, who secretly recorded some of their conversations. In 1998, Tripp handed those tapes to independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who was already investigating unrelated business dealings of the Clintons. With Tripp’s information, Starr began probing the affair — the latest in a long line of affairs and accusations against Clinton, many from his time as governor of Arkansas.

And Newsweek had the goods.

“We had the story — no one else did,” recalls Michael Isikoff, an investigative reporter then with Newsweek. “And the Newsweek editors balked about publishing it.”

Then, on Jan. 17, 1998, something seismic happened.

Matt Drudge, a political gossip blogger known for his anti-Clinton scoops and a fast-growing email list, broke the story himself. He reported that Newsweek was sitting on explosive allegations about Clinton and an intern. Just like that, a rumor bouncing around D.C. newsrooms became a global story.