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NewsMax.com is a conservative news website that was founded in September 1998 by journalist Christopher Ruddy, who is its current CEO and editor-in-chief. It is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.

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 '''NewsMax.com''' is a [[conservatism|conservative]] [[news]] [[website]] that was founded in September [[1998]] by [[journalist]] [[Christopher Ruddy]], who is its current [[CEO]] and [[editor-in-chief]]. It is headquartered in [[West Palm Beach, Florida]].
-==Background==
-Christopher Ruddy gained publicity for his asociation with the [[Arkansas Project]], which was described by R. [[Emmett Tyrrell]] Jr., founding editor of the ''[[American Spectator]]'' as an attempt at investigative reporting. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/scaifeside050299.htm]. Ruddy received funding for a conspiracy book surrounding the Presidency of [[Bill Clinton]] from [[Joseph Farah]] (founder of [[WorldNetDaily]], and co-founder of the [[Western Journalism Center]].[http://www.publiceye.org/conspire/clinton/Clintonculwar8-06.html]. The group supplied Ruddy with funding for expenses, [[Freedom of Information Act]] requests, legal support, and publicity during his pursuit of a  [[Vincent_Foster#Conspiracy_Theory |conspiracy theory concerning Foster's suicide.]] [http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/primer.html] Ruddy's ties to the Spectator and the project created unease among conservatives. The ''Washington Post'' quoted [[John Corry]] describing Ruddy as "'a very heavy breather' whose book contained 'very few direct quotes, but a great many insinuations'"[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/scaifeside050299.htm]
-Ruddy and [[Richard Mellon Scaife]] (who funded the Arkansas Project) remained connected through their promotion of conservative and conspiratorial ideas. Before starting NewsMax, Ruddy was a free-lance reporter for the Scaife-owned ''[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]''.[http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=1999/1/31/173313] Eventually, Scaife became an investor and the third-largest stockholder in NewsMax. [http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1167574/000095014402002242/g74688a1sb-2a.txt] Conservative [[James Dale Davidson]] is also an investor.
-NewsMax promotes a [[Right wing politics|right-wing]] viewpoint, and attacks what it calls liberal thinking as [[media bias]] [http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/Media_Bias.shtml].
-Criticism of NewsMax has focused on its distribution of false information. NewsMax has been accused of being a hub for [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] about [[U.S. Democratic Party|Democrats]], and former U.S. President [[Bill Clinton]] and his wife, [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]], currently one of the two U.S. senators from New York.
-NewsMax's founders include [[Kevin Timpy]], [[Bruce Lonic]], Lord [[William Rees-Mogg]], [[James Dale Davidson]], Admiral [[Thomas Moorer]], [[Arnaud de Borchgrave]], and [[Michael Ruff]]. [http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1167574/000095014402002242/g74688a1sb-2a.txt] It's Board members include former Secretary of State General [[Alexander Haig]], [[Jeff Cunningham]], former publisher of Forbes magazine, [[Alvin Hirsch]], a financial consultant, and [[Robert Lohman]], a former executive of IBM Corporation. [http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1167574/000095014402002242/g74688a1sb-2a.txt]
-== Misinformation ==
-On December 19, 2000, NewsMax falsely claimed: "Hillary and Bill Clinton are putting their Chappaqua, N.Y., home for sale because their neighbors have them under 24-hour video surveillance," citing anonymous sources "at some of America's most notorious [[supermarket tabloid]]s."[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2000/12/18/143812.shtml] In fact, the Clintons have not sold that house.[http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2000/ruddyhillary.html]
-On [[May 26]], [[2001]], NewsMax falsely claimed that U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton refused to meet with [[Gold Star Mothers Club|Gold Star Mothers]], a group whose members are mothers who have lost children while serving in the military. {{ref|Hil-lie}}
-On [[June 5]], [[2005]], in a subscription-only email, NewsMax correspondent [[John LeBoutillier]] falsely claimed A book by [[Ed Klein]] would reveal opposition by [[Daniel Moynihan]] to Hilary Clinton's candidacy to represent New York in the United States Senate. {{ref|hil-lie2}} {{ref|hil-lie2}}
-On October 17, 2005, NewsMax falsely claimed that it never stated that a concert by the rock band [[U2]] in Philadelphia was to be a benefit for the re-election campaign of Sen. [[Rick Santorum]]. In fact, NewsMax did claim that the concert was "in support of Santorum's re-election" when Santorum's campaign had merely bought seats at the concert for its supporters. NewsMax withdrew the original, erroneous article without issuing a correction.[http://mediamatters.org/items/200510180005]
-=== John McCain ===
-On [[November 29]], [[2005]] NewsMax was the source of a rumor that [[John McCain]] himself validated the use of torture. This accusation was then picked up and repeated by [[Rush Limbaugh]].{{ref|rushcain}} NewsMax specifically claimed:
-:"Sen. [[John McCain]] is leading the charge against so-called “torture” techniques allegedly used by U.S. interrogators, insisting that practices like sleep deprivation and withholding medical attention are not only brutal – they simply don’t work to persuade terrorist suspects to give accurate information."
-:"Nearly forty years ago, however – when McCain was held captive in a North Vietnamese prison camp – some of the same techniques were used on him. And – as McCain has publicly admitted at least twice – the torture worked!"
-The article contradicts itself by demonstrating that torture does not provide intelligence:
-:"For the next four days, I was beaten every two to three hours by different guards . . . Finally, I reached the lowest point of my 5 1/2 years in North Vietnam. I was at the point of [[suicide]], because I saw that I was reaching the end of my rope."
-:"McCain was taken to an interrogation room and ordered to sign a document confessing to war crimes. "I signed it," he recalled. "It was in their language, and spoke about black crimes, and other generalities."  {{ref|Johnlie}}
-=== Plame-CIA Leak ===
-On [[October 29]], [[2005]] Newsmax published an article which claimed that "[[Patrick Fitzgerald]] Retreats From Plame 'Covert' Claim." The article commented that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald:
-:"declined to bring any charges to that effect, casting even more doubt on the claim that her ([[Valerie Wilson]]) CIA job was a closely guarded secret."{{ref|Patlie}}
-Yet, in the [[October 28]], [[2005]] Federal indictment of [[Lewis Libby|Scooter Libby]], ''page 3, section f'' stated:
-:"At all relevant times from [[January 1]], [[2002]] through July 2003, [[Valerie Wilson]] was employed by the [[CIA]], and her employment status was classified. Prior to July 14, 2003, Valerie Wilson’s affiliation with the [[CIA]] was not common knowledge outside the intelligence community."{{ref|Patind}}
-Moreover, the indictment ''page 2, section b'' stated:
-:"LIBBY was obligated by applicable laws and regulations, including Title 18, United States Code, Section 793, and Executive Order 12958 (as modified by Executive Order 13292)"{{ref|Patind}}
-And Title 18, Section 793 is the [[Espionage Act]].
-==References==
-#{{cite web | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/scaifeside050299.htm | title = "'Arkansas Project' Led to Turmoil and Rifts" | work = [[Washington Post]] | accessdate =  December 13 | accessyear = 2005}}
-# {{cite web | url = http://www.publiceye.org/conspire/clinton/Clintonculwar8-06.html
- | title = "Western Journalism Center - Joseph Farah" | work = Public Eye.Org | accessdate =  December 15 | accessyear = 2005}}
-# {{cite web | url = http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/primer.html
- | title = "Joseph Farah and the World Net Daily" | work = ConWebWatch | accessdate =  December 13 | accessyear = 2005}}
-#{{cite web | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/scaifeside050299.htm | title = "'Arkansas Project' Led to Turmoil and Rifts" | work = Washington Post | accessdate =  December 13 | accessyear = 2005}}
-#{{cite web | url = http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=1999/1/31/173313
- | title = "Ron Brown Reports for the ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' by Christopher Ruddy" | work = NewsMax | accessdate =  December 15 | accessyear = 2005}}
-#{{note|sec}}{{cite web | url = http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1167574/000095014402002242/g74688a1sb-2a.txt
- | title = "NEWSMAX MEDIA, INC. SB-2/A#1 REG. NO. 333-83408" | work = [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]] | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-# {{note|mediaclaims}}{{cite web | url = http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/Media_Bias.shtml| title = "Media Bias" | work = Newsmax | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-#{{note|hil-lie2}}{{cite web | url = http://mediamatters.org/items/200506060001 | title = "First detail on new anti-Hillary book is a lie" | work = [[Media Matters]] | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-#{{note|hil-lie2}}{{cite web | url = http://mediamatters.org/items/200506060001 | title = "First detail on new anti-Hillary book is a lie" | work = Media Matters | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-# {{note|Hil-lie}} {{cite web | url = http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/goldstar.asp | title = "Politics: Gold Mother Stars" | work = [[Snopes.com]] | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-# {{note|Johnlie}} {{cite web | url = http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/11/29/100012.shtml | title = "John McCain: Torture Worked on Me" | work = Newsmax | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-# {{note|rushcain}} {{cite web | url = http://mediamatters.org/items/200512090006 | title = "Limbaugh repeated NewsMax.com's false claim that McCain 'admitted that torture worked on him'" | work = Media Matters] | accessdate =  December 10 | accessyear = 2005}}
-#{{note|Patlie}} {{cite web | url = http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/10/29/122517.shtml | title = "Patrick Fitzgerald Retreats From Plame 'Covert' Claim" | work = Newsmax | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-#{{note|Patind}} {{cite web | url = http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/documents/libby_indictment_28102005.pdf | title = "October 28, 2005 Indictment: US v Libby" | work = [[United States Attorney General]]'s Office | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-#{{note|Patind}} {{cite web | url = http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/documents/libby_indictment_28102005.pdf | title = "October 28, 2005 Indictment: US v Libby" | work = [[United States Attorney General]]'s Office | accessdate =  November 29 | accessyear = 2005}}
-==External links==
-*[http://www.newsmax.com NewsMax.com]
-* [http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2002/nmcorrupt.html Is NewsMax Corrupt?]
-*[http://www.newsmax.com/hottopics/NewsMax.com_Company_News.shtml NewsMax.com company news]
-*[http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,40375,00.html?tw=wn_story_related Wired News: *NewsMax Knows Its Audience]
-*[http://mediamatters.org/items/200406030001 Washington Times story on Newsmax]
-*[http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/outlets/newsmaxcom Media Matters] page on NewsMax.
-*[http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/goldstar.asp Snopes.com Urban Legends Reference Gold Star Mothers page]
-[[Category:blogs]]
-[[no:NewsMax.com]]