I was recently in New York City and, “just by accident,” whom did I see walking along Third Avenue in Manhattan’s mid-town? It was Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media.
Newsmax’s growing cable news channel and digital media has been a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stifling, biased and out-of-control legacy media landscape.
Shortly after we met, Mr. Ruddy invited me up to see his New York studios and offices. In minutes we are on an elevator to the 22nd floor of his office building.
In contrast to so many legacy media, the atmosphere surrounding Ruddy’s offices is upbeat and positive. It is very modern and extremely high tech. The studios hum with multiple control rooms and multiple sets.
“Many people think we just arrived on the scene, but we have been around for nearly 25 years,” Mr. Ruddy says
Newsmax is located close to other media in Manhattan like Fox, CNN and MSNBC, but it’s far from their establishment thinking.
Mr. Ruddy is a longtime friend of former President Donald J. Trump, and he opened his phone to show me photos of Trump signing a gift book to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As it turned out, at the end of May, Mr. Ruddy traveled to Kyiv for a meeting with Zelenskyy.
Mr. Ruddy sees Zelenskyy as “true hero.”
Russia’s President Putin is no Christian, Ruddy says, and warns of his growing threat to the U.S.
A native of nearby Long Island, Mr. Ruddy proudly showed me the cover of The Saturday Evening Post from February 1924. An employee recently gave him the cover as a gift, since it features Mr. Ruddy’s late father as a child, depicting Saint Valentine.
Our discussion moved to the impact that Newsmax is having not only in America, but around the world.
The atmosphere at Newsmax is one of simplicity, combined with first-class technology and a with a growing roster of top media personalities. These personalities include Greta Van Susteren, who just signed on with Newsmax recently, to Rob Schmitt, Greg Kelly, Eric Bolling, Chris Salcedo and other top media veterans.
At a time when legacy media are cutting back, reducing staff, coverage and worldwide networks, Newsmax is growing.
Ruddy took me to another floor, which is under construction and set to house offices and studios for some of the 200 plus employees located in their Manhattan headquarters.
“Newsmax is not a religious network,” Mr. Ruddy says, but notes that “we’re here to cover the stories important to all Americans, including those important for believing Christians, Jews and others who seek to worship in peace and freedom.” Ruddy himself is a practicing Catholic.
Newsmax is available on all major platforms and online at NewsmaxTV.com. You can download the free Newsmax App on any smartphone and watch Newsmax TV anywhere in the world for free.
Give it a try and make comparisons with other mainstream media. You won’t be disappointed. {eoa}
Amir George directs The World Helpline.
