Year's best blogs named to 'Fab 50'

While other columns are writing end of the year reviews, we're devoting this week's Surfin' Safari to the best blogs of the Internet's conservative blogosphere. Why? Because the smart people, when they're not getting their news from WND, they are reading some, if not all of these 50-plus highly regarded websites.

This assemblage of New Media is where you'll get the truth – honestly, quickly, accurately, sometimes with a sharp bite, side-splitting humor or edgy irony.

According to Doug Ross, founder of Director Blue blogsite and Fab 50's self-appointed judge and jury, these awards "recognize a variety of blogs and websites operating in the conservative hemisphere of the Internet, all of which have worked tirelessly to promote conservatism, free-market capitalism, fiscal sanity, the sovereignty of the individual, and otherwise protect America from the cockroach-like Statists – some in very unique ways."

Ross says the purpose of the annual Fab 50 contest is to recognize bloggers who do an unpaid thankless job. In speaking to Surfin' Safari, Ross, who has been blogging since 2003, said the award winners actually number more than 50 and are quality blogs with original content or an original approach to aggregating content.

"I have recognized people who are doing the best job all around on a daily basis," he explained.

"Ultimately, what they do is very important for the country because we all feel strongly in many ways to preserve the America we grew up with and save it for our kids," Ross continued. "These folks aren't being funded. They're not doing it for money, but for passion and love of country. So if its not a financial reward, this at least gives them external validation for the effort they put in. This is the 6th annual, and it keeps getting bigger, and hopefully there will eventually be some financial reward. But for now, it's validation that they're really making a difference and there are tons of people who appreciate what they do."

How does a blogger's work become recognized among thousands others out there?

Link love.

"No matter how small you are, there's somebody smaller. Try to recognize them – for example, Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit links to those who have written something noteworthy but are little blogs," Ross explained. "The way to build grassroots support for a blog is to link to those who might be under-appreciated. I invite folks to send me their articles, and if it's good, I'll link to it in my daily round-up."

Ross explained the award categories are diversified and divided by category of coverage or the particular spin taken: "They include precision-guided blogging, uncensored and entertainingly caustic, timely and prolific, best political coverage, inconvenient truths for the left, and more."

Here are four that garnered recognition:

Best News Portal:
Drudge Report: the original conservative blogger and arguably still the best

Best Group Blog:
Hot Air: a news and commentary site without peer for its intellect, depth and breadth

Best Op-Ed Blog:
American Thinker: Thomas Lifson remains an all-star editor
Right Wing News: John Hawkins has built a mainstay site for the right

Best Blog Portal:
BadBlue: An automated, always-current news portal sourced via social network "buzz"

To find out who earned new media award recognition, head to Director Blue's site. But first, here are the categories:

Best Columnist Working in Vintage Media
Best Columnist Working in Mixed Media
Best Columnist Working in New Media
Best Captive Columnist
Entrepreneur of the Year

Best Blog Improvements
Most Innovative Blogger
Most Valuable Twitter Feed
Most talented humorist on Twitter
Tweets that matter

Best News Site
Best Political Site
Best Public Policy Blog
Best News Blog
Most Valuable Blogger

Comeback Blogger of the Year
Best Blogger in a Group Blog
Rookie of the Year
Progressives Today
Blog Posts of the Year

Best Video Blog
Best Newsletter
Best Online Magazines
Best U.S. Econ Blog
Best Global Econ Blog

Best Prep Bloggers
Best Blog for Entrepreneurs
Best Talk Radio Host Website
Best Designated Blogger
Best Investigative Reporter

Best Investigative Reporting
Best Independent Investigative Reporting
Best Anti-Corruption Site
Best Voter Integrity Blog
Best White House Coverage

Best First Lady Blog
Best Blog-Ring
Best Latin American Coverage
Best Legal Writer:
Best Firearms Blogger

Best Gun Blog
Best Global Issues Writer
Best Climate Blog
Fabulous 50 Hall of Fame Award Winners for Lifetime Achievements
Best Blog on the Culture Wars

Best State-focused Reporting
Best Cartoonist
Best Newspaper Op-Ed Page
The Ronald Reagan Award for Best Anti-Communism Blog
The Golda Meir Award for Best Israel Blogger

The Geert Wilders Award for Best Anti-Jihad Blogger
The General George S. Patton Award for War-Blogging
Best Media Watchdog Blog
Best Media-Watchers
Best Video Site

The Senator John Blutarsky Award for Conservative Blogging
The Daniel Simpson Day Award for Best Satirical Blog
The Broken Lizard Award for Best Blog Implosion
The Andrew Dice Clay Award for Political Incorrectness
The Family Guy Award for Best Graphics

The Salvador Dali Award for Most Creative Blogging
The Matthew Yglesias Award for the Year's Dumbest Blogger
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Award for Faux Conservatism
The Melvin Keynes Award for World's Funniest Economist (Economedian)

Previous Fabulous 50 Award Winners are listed here:
• 2013 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
• 2012 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
• 2011 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
• 2010 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
• 2009 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners