Glenn Reynolds is an unlikely visionary. Before he emerged as the "InstaPundit," he was just a law professor at the University of Tennessee, writing on administrative law and the Second Amendment for publications like Law and Policy in International Business and Jurimetrics. These outlets, however, didn't satisfy Reynolds's desire to reach a wider audience, and, in 2001, he began posting messages under a variety of handles like "AGAndroid" in "the Fray," the readers' forum for the online magazine Slate. Reynolds seemed to have an opinion about everything--from Canadian prescription drugs to the relative attractiveness of rock groupies--and a knack for pumping out copy faster than a wire reporter. His celebrity among the Slate Fraysters prompted him to strike out on his own. And, in August 2001, Reynolds created a blog, InstaPundit, where he could tie together his academic and outside interests and provide links and commentary on news and opinion journalism.
If it weren't for September 11, Reynolds's commentary on the Slate bulletin board might have been the height of his fame. But, in the dark moments following the attacks, the public craved commentary--and InstaPundit supplied it in torrents. His conservative politics and implacable compulsion to post earned him a massive following. Today, the blog-tracker Technorati ranks InstaPundit as one of the top 100 blogs, and Reynolds is known to many as the "blogfather," a moniker that pays tribute to his role in shaping the new genre. Print journalists frequently turn to him for his opinions on the medium. He even has an online store, where loyal fans can purchase merchandise ("classic thong" underwear for $8.99) emblazoned with the InstaPundit name and the slogan "ahead of the curve since 30 minutes ago!"
Please click here to continue reading this article.
