Andrew Breitbart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew Breitbart
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Speaking at CPAC, February 2012
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| Born |
Andrew James Breitbart
February 1, 1969 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Died | March 1, 2012 (aged 43) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Alma mater | Tulane University (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1995–2012 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Susannah Bean
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 4 |
Andrew James Breitbart (February 1, 1969 – March 1, 2012) was an American conservative journalist and writer. He was known for starting Breitbart News and for helping to create HuffPost.
Breitbart played important roles in news stories like the firing of Shirley Sherrod and the ACORN 2009 undercover videos controversy. Many people, like journalists Nick Gillespie and Conor Friedersdorf, said Breitbart changed how people wrote about politics. They felt he showed how the internet could share information quickly.
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Who Was Andrew Breitbart?
Andrew Breitbart was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 1, 1969. He was adopted when he was three weeks old by Gerald and Arlene Breitbart. His adoptive family was Jewish, and he grew up in Brentwood. He went to Hebrew school and had a Bar Mitzvah.
Andrew's School Days
Breitbart went to Brentwood School, a top private school. He said his sense of humor helped him there. He found he loved writing and published his first funny piece in the school newspaper. It was about the difference in parking lots for older and younger students.
His family was not very political when he was growing up. However, they once left their synagogue when their rabbi tried to defend Jesse Jackson. Jackson had made a controversial comment.
"Joel Pollak wrote about how (Breitbart's) life and fire extended to Judaism: 'Andrew was proudly, and playfully, Jewish. In the last days of his life he wondered openly about observing Shabbat, even as he continued to tease me about not eating bacon and shrimp cocktails. More than once he burst into a Hebrew school song or parts of his bar mitzva portion while working at his desk across from mine – partly to amuse me and partly to entertain himself.'"
Breitbart stayed "proudly and playfully Jewish" his whole life. He was seen as an important thinker in politics. The Forward, a Jewish newspaper, even put him on their 2010 list of the 50 most important American Jews. Breitbart later said he was glad to be a journalist because he wanted to support the people of Israel.
Early Jobs and Education
While in high school, Breitbart delivered pizza. He sometimes delivered to famous people. He earned a college degree in American studies from Tulane University in 1991. After college, he worked at a cable channel called E! Entertainment Television. He also worked in making movies.
Breitbart used to have more liberal political views. But he changed his mind after watching the 1991 hearings for Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas. He later said he became a "Reagan conservative" with some libertarian ideas. Listening to radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh also helped him form his political beliefs.
Andrew Breitbart's Public Life
Writing and Media Work
Breitbart was praised for his part in creating important websites. These included The Huffington Post and The Drudge Report. Later, he started Breitbart News. Journalists like Nick Gillespie said Breitbart helped bring new voices to political discussions. Breitbart said in 2004 that he and others felt ignored by existing news. So, they decided to "create our media."
In 1995, Breitbart was very impressed by The Drudge Report. He emailed its founder, Matt Drudge. Drudge then introduced him to Arianna Huffington. Breitbart helped her start The Huffington Post.
Breitbart also wrote a weekly column for The Washington Times. He co-wrote a book called Hollywood, Interrupted: Insanity Chic in Babylon. This book was critical of celebrity culture in the U.S. In 2011, Breitbart released his own book, Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World. In it, he talked about his political journey and his role in the rise of new media.
Breitbart News
Breitbart launched Breitbart News as a news website. It often shared stories from news agencies like the Associated Press and Reuters. It also linked to major international newspapers. The website's political views and audience are generally on the right side of the U.S. political spectrum. In 2007, Breitbart also started a video blog called Breitbart.tv.
In 2011, Breitbart and an editor were sued by Shirley Sherrod. She had been fired after Breitbart posted a video of her speech. The video was edited to make it seem like she had discriminated against a white farmer. But the full video showed she had actually helped him. Breitbart said he had stated this in his article. The lawsuit was settled in 2016.
News Commentaries
Breitbart often appeared as a commentator on TV shows. These included Real Time with Bill Maher and Dennis Miller. He was also a guest on Fox News Channel's morning show and Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld. In 2004, he was a commentator in the documentary Michael Moore Hates America.
In 2009, Breitbart appeared on the C-SPAN program Washington Journal. He shared his views on the media, Hollywood, and the Obama administration. He had lively discussions with callers.
In 2010, Breitbart received an award from Accuracy in Media. During his speech, he responded to a reporter's claims about a young conservative activist. Breitbart strongly defended the activist.
In 2011, Breitbart said that Donald Trump was not a traditional conservative. He noted that "celebrity is everything in this country." He suggested that political candidates needed to learn how to use the media like Obama and Trump did.
Activism
Breitbart often spoke at Tea Party movement events across the U.S. For example, he spoke at the first National Tea Party Convention in Nashville in 2010. He was involved in a debate about whether racial slurs were used at a rally in Washington, D.C. Breitbart claimed no slurs were used and offered a large donation for proof. He believed it was a setup by political opponents.
In 2012, a video showed Breitbart speaking loudly to Occupy D.C. protesters. This happened outside a hotel hosting a conservative conference. He told the protesters to "behave yourself."
Breitbart also appeared in Occupy Unmasked, a documentary film. The film argued that the Occupy Wall Street movement was not just made of students. It suggested it was led by organized leaders who wanted to change the American government.
The Breitbart Doctrine
The "Breitbart Doctrine" is an important idea from Andrew Breitbart. It means that "politics is downstream from culture." This suggests that to change politics, you must first change the culture of a society.
Chris Wylie, who worked for a company called Cambridge Analytica, explained this idea. He said that if you want to change politics, you need to understand culture. And to understand culture, you need to understand people. So, to change politics, you first need to change people to change culture. Breitbart believed this idea was very important.
Political Views
Breitbart described his political views as mostly conservative, with some libertarian leanings. He had changed his views from being a Democrat to a conservative. This shift happened after he saw how Democrats treated Clarence Thomas during a Senate hearing.
He supported gay rights. He was against multiculturalism and political correctness. Breitbart also believed the U.S. military should get involved in countries like Syria and Iran for humanitarian reasons. He was also a strong supporter of Israel.
Personal Life and Passing
Breitbart was married to Susannah Bean. She was the daughter of actor Orson Bean. They had four children together.
On February 29, 2012, Breitbart collapsed near his home in Brentwood. He was taken to the hospital and passed away on March 1, 2012, at age 43. An autopsy showed he died from heart failure. He had been diagnosed with a heart condition the year before.
Tributes to Andrew Breitbart
Many important political figures and journalists shared their sadness after Breitbart's death. These included Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Matt Drudge, and Rush Limbaugh. Santorum called his death "a huge loss." Romney praised Breitbart as a "fearless conservative." Newt Gingrich remembered him as a "pioneer in conservative activist social media." A special episode of Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld aired to honor him.
See Also
- Tea Party movement
Images for kids
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Andrew Breitbart speaking at CPAC in 2012.
