RedState

RedState
Web address RedState.com
Type of site
 Blog
Owner Salem Communications
Created by Joshua Treviño, Ben Domenech, and Mike Krempasky
Editor Erick Erickson
Launched 2004
Alexa rank
 positive decrease 19,419 (November 2014)[1]

RedState is a conservative American political blog.

The site is a subsidiary of Salem Communications. Erick Erickson is the Chairman of the Board and Editor-in-Chief of RedState.[2] At the time of the purchase, Eagle Publishing agreed to let RedState maintain its editorial constructs as a collaborative blog.

According to Erick Erickson, RedState is conservative in the primaries and Republican in general elections. It was the first major blog to endorse Republican candidates Marco Rubio and Doug Hoffman. Its front page is written largely by volunteer contributors.[3]

The site's editor-in-chief, Erick Erickson, was a political contributor on CNN from 2010 to 2013; he joined Fox News as a political contributor in 2013.[4]

History

RedState was founded in 2004 as a 527 group by conservative bloggers Joshua Treviño,[5] Ben Domenech,[6] and Mike Krempasky.

In March 2006, co-founder Domenech was hired as a blogger by the Washington Post Online, but was criticised for alleged plagiarism in some of his prior writings during college. At the end of his first week, Domenech resigned, eventually admitting to plagiarism.[7] He took a leave of absence from RedState at the time, from which he returned in July 2006 under a new handle (his own name).

On November 16, 2006, former congressman Tom DeLay posted a diary, and he has followed up multiple times.[8] Several other members of the House of Representatives and the US Senate are regular diarists at RedState.

On December 20, 2006, RedState announced its sale to Eagle Publishing, Inc.,[9] effective January 2, 2007. Erick Erickson remained Editor-in-Chief.

On July 12, 2008, RedState launched a new version of its site, called RS3, introducing new features such as the ability to organize contributor and user diaries by state; action centers allowing users to take action related to emerging political issues; links to share posts via other networking sites such as Facebook, Digg, and MySpace; and easier searching between related content on the Internet.

On August 13, 2011, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced his candidacy for President of the United States at RedState's 2011 RedState Gathering.[10] The Austin American-Statesman reported that this was due to the growing influence of the site and Erickson.[11]

RedState has also created numerous offshoot blogs on specific political topics, including a site opposed to then Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Arlen Specter and a site supporting the judicial nominees of President George W. Bush.

In January 2014, Eagle Publishing was acquired by Salem Communications.[12]

The site is run and operated by Erick Erickson.

Content

In 2010 the blog banned new contributors who were posting in support of Ron Paul. The announcement on the blog read, "Effective immediately, new users may *not* shill for Ron Paul in any way shape, form or fashion."[13]

In 2011, one contributor suggested that conservatives 'infiltrate' liberal blogs by pretending to be progressives to 'hurt the democratic party.'[14]

In June 2011, Politico reported that an account executive from Eagle Publishing sent an email advertising a "RedState Endorsement Program Featuring Erick Erickson", including "Erick's Video Endorsement (subject to final approval by Erick)".[15] Erickson said that neither he "nor his boss at Eagle" had seen the email before it went out and that "[his] endorsements are not for sale".[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Redstate.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  2. ↑ Erick Erickson (April 20, 2010). "About Redstate". Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  3. ↑ "About". RedState. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  4. ↑ Weprin, Alex (29 January 2013). "CNN Political Contributors Carville, Matalin and Erickson Leaving". Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Joshua Treviño Profile". The Guardian (London). February 9, 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Heartland Institute staff bio- Benjamin Domenech". heartland.org. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  7. ↑ Jim Brady (March 24, 2006). "Red America". Blog.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  8. ↑ Tom DeLay (November 16, 2006). "What's That Thumping? It's Time We Get Back To First Principles". RedState. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  9. ↑ The Directors. "RedState & Eagle Publishing: Growing The Conservative Movement Online". Redstate. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Perry Makes It Official: He's Running for President". Fox News. August 13, 2011.
  11. ↑ Embry, Jason (August 11, 2011). "Perry's announcement highlights RedState's growing influence". Austin American-Statesman.
  12. ↑ Salem Communications Buys Eagle Publishing
  13. ↑ Grim, Ryan (October 23, 2007). "Redstate.com bans new Ron Paul supporters - Ryan Grim". Politico. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ "GOP Site Plans To Infiltrate Liberal Sites With "Trolls"". NewsOne. July 28, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  15. ↑ Smith, Ben (June 7, 2011). "RedState sells 'endorsement'". Politico. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  16. ↑ Erickson, Eric (June 7, 2011). "Selling Endorsements? [updated]".

External links