PAPER: WHY IS DRUDGE BLACK AND WHITE?

It’s happened again. Drudge has switched back to the black and white image format on DrudgeReport.com, a look he seems to take up every few years on his news aggregating behemoth — long considered one, if not the most influential news site in the country. So what caused Drudge Report to take on the classic, somber black and white aesthetic? Let’s dive in-
When did Drudge Report become Black and White?
The change happened sometime between Thursday Jan. 12 and Friday Jan. 13, first with a black and white photo announcing the death of Lisa Marie Presley, with photos accompanying other stories remaining in color.
DrudgeReport.com, Jan. 12, 2023
By later in the day Friday, all the photos on the site had become black and white, and the aesthetic has remained that way for almost a week now.
DrudgeReport.com, Jan. 13, 2023
Drudge has gone B&W in the past — in 2017 and 2020 to our recollection.
The 2017 round started around Aug. 8 and lasted til Aug. 31.
DrudgeReport.com, Aug. 8, 2017
DrudgeReport.com again went black and white around Dec. 8, 2020, but that only lasted a few days, reverting back to color by Dec. 12, 2020.
DrudgeReport.com, Dec. 9, 2020
Why did Drudge Report go Black and White?
When this happened back in 2017, Mike Allen of Axios reached out to Drudge and got an instant response:
“We have clearly entered a historic era. It’s feeling like The Roaring 20’s this autumn with tech valuations at such hysterical heights. T …