Newsmax TV
One of the most interesting news channels I've had the chance to view is Newsmax. Newsmax is an American news and opinion website founded in 1998 by Christopher Ruddy. In recent years, Newsmax has started a print magazine as well as launched a cable TV channel. Newsmax has become increasingly popular after the 2020 election because the program published many conspiracy theories made by President Trump and the Trump campaign about voter fraud. After much backlash, Newsmax apologized for their allegations.
Newsmax has been described as an “ultra-conservative outlet,” and even as a “news broadcast of a low-budget sci-fi movie.” It has become a safe space for anyone who cannot publicize their opinions on Fox News. Even though Ruddy, a longtime Republican political figure, continually insists that their platform is not conservative, but rather independent. Nevertheless, they persist in their support for Trump.
It went viral basically overnight. It had 3 posts in the top 10 most viral posts in the politics category. At its peak, the channel’s nightly TV show was getting about 700,000 - 800,000 views. Jared Holt, a researcher at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, who specializes in extremism and misinformation, predicted the downfall. And he was right.
More than two years later, Newsmax has yet to drop the subject of the 2020 election. Just recently host Rob Carson said this, “We’re beyond the ‘conspiracy theory’ nonsense. We all know, we’re not stupid, we know something happened.” Why they won’t drop the subject will remain foreign. Since January of this year, Newsmax viewership has declined by more than 50% since January (from an average of about 300,000 viewers to about 114,000 viewers by July 18).
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Holt had this to say about the news channel, “It seems like this boost is likely to be just kind of a flash in the pan for them. Once the lawsuits pan out and recounts finish… the selling point is gone.” Holt also had this to say about the platform, “Presentation really matters, so if you have propaganda or disinformation to sell, you can sell it a lot more effectively if you dress it up like the real thing.” Personally, I think Holt was correct, along with his opinion, I think Newsmax’s audience is tired of them beating a dead horse. I think their audience is more intelligent than Newsmax is giving them credit for and I think viewers are starting to realize that they aren’t recognizing that.
As a consumer and audience, a lot of weight is on your shoulders in the sense that your actions affect others, whether you realize it or not. The only advice I can give to fight bias news channels is to do your own research. When checking out the latest social media posts, don’t just jump on the train because everyone else is. Take the time to make sure you have all the information and then make the decision of what you believe.
Below is a tweet from Newsmax.
.@RichardGrenell on Russia's pipeline: "It would be the perfect time for the Biden Administration to say we're going to support the European voices who are against this pipeline, we're going to stand up to Russia." @JohnFBachman @KILM3NY pic.twitter.com/0M3ufZiRxz
— Newsmax (@newsmax) January 14, 2022
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