Media ignore 10th anniversary of Lewinsky revelation

Since broadcast/print editors and writers are fascinated about anniversaries of all types --- from political to weather --- especially those marking one, fifth and 10th years, Grumpy Editor noticed a significant Jan. 17, 1998 event went by yesterday almost unnoticed:

In a deposition in the Paula Jones case, President Bill Clinton denies having had an affair with Monica Lewinsky.

From that decade-ago brief summary, a major scandal erupted.

Some one-line mentions of the Clinton-Jones case were in print yesterday under such headlines as “Today in History” or “Almanac.”

Editor & Publisher's Web site today notes the "Lewinsky bombshell" by re-running an article from its Jan. 23, 1968 issue and cites Matt Drudge, then a little-known Web gossip writer, who came up with a "world exclusive" posting on his Drudge Report.

But in Great Britain the 1998 date received bigger recognition.

The Times of London gave major play to the 10th anniversary with a full-length feature Tuesday that includes updates on some of the principal players in the long-running saga.

It all started back in 1998.  Working on a Packard-Bell computer from his small Hollywood apartment on a Jan. 17 (it was a Saturday) item, Drudge posted on his Drudge Report a mention that Newsweek magazine had spiked a story about President Clinton's relationship with an intern.

Drudge beat mainstream media with the first public word about that White House happening.  The next day, Monica Lewinsky was identified as the intern.