Christopher Ruddy
Background
Background
----------

Ruddy grew up on [Long Island](/wiki/Long_Island "Long Island") in [Williston Park, New York](/wiki/Williston_Park%2C_New_York "Williston Park, New York"), where his father was a police officer in [Nassau County](/wiki/Nassau_County%2C_New_York "Nassau County, New York"). He graduated from [Chaminade High School](/wiki/Chaminade_High_School "Chaminade High School") in [Mineola, New York](/wiki/Mineola%2C_New_York "Mineola, New York") before graduating *[summa cum laude](/wiki/Summa_cum_laude "Summa cum laude")* with a degree in history from [St. John's University, New York](/wiki/St._John%27s_University_%28New_York_City%29 "St. John's University (New York City)") in 1987\.[St. John's University, Honor Roll of Donors, Benefactors' Council](http://www.stjohns.edu/alumni/giving/hrod/benefactors.stj) : Christopher W. Ruddy '87 CBA; retrieved 2007\-12\-31\. He earned a master's degree in public policy from the [London School of Economics](/wiki/London_School_of_Economics "London School of Economics") and also studied at the [Hebrew University of Jerusalem](/wiki/Hebrew_University_of_Jerusalem "Hebrew University of Jerusalem") as an undergrad.[Profile](https://archive.today/20140307170718/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=1866603&privcapId=1831632&previousCapId=1831632&previousTitle=Newsmax+Media,+Inc), BusinessWeek.com; accessed February 24, 2015\. He worked briefly as a bilingual high school social studies teacher in [the Bronx, New York](/wiki/The_Bronx%2C_New_York "The Bronx, New York"). Ruddy holds an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from St. John's University.

Early in his career, Ruddy was editor in chief of a [conservative](/wiki/Conservative "Conservative") monthly periodical known as the *[New York Guardian](/wiki/New_York_Guardian "New York Guardian")*. While with the *NY Guardian*, Ruddy debunked a story in the [PBS](/wiki/Public_Broadcasting_Service "Public Broadcasting Service") documentary *[Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II](/wiki/Liberators:Fighting_on_Two_Fronts_in_World_War_II "Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II")* that an all\-black army unit had liberated the [Buchenwald](/wiki/Buchenwald "Buchenwald") and [Dachau concentration camps](/wiki/Dachau_concentration_camp "Dachau concentration camp").

Ruddy called the documentary an example of "how the media can manipulate facts and narratives to create a revised history both believable and untrue."Moldea, op. cit., pp. 144–45\.

Ruddy then moved to the *[New York Post](/wiki/New_York_Post "New York Post")*, which he joined as an [investigative reporter](/wiki/Investigative_journalism "Investigative journalism") late in the summer of 1993\. After initially writing about abuse of Social Security disability benefits, he focused on the Whitewater scandal involving then\-president Bill Clinton.

In 1995 he joined the *[Pittsburgh Tribune\-Review](/wiki/Pittsburgh_Tribune-Review "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review")* as a national correspondent covering the Clinton White House and other topics.

Ruddy has studied as a Media Fellow with the [Hoover Institution](/wiki/Hoover_Institution "Hoover Institution"). Ruddy serves on the board of directors of the Financial Publishers Association (FIPA),["More Member Benefits"](http://www.financialpublishers.org/fipa_members.asp), Financial Publishers Association. Retrieved 2017\-04\-01\. an industry trade group whose goal is "to share knowledge of best business practices to help our members' publications grow and prosper, while empowering readers with unbiased, independent information".["About"](http://www.financialpublishers.org/about.asp), FIPA website. Retrieved 2017\-04\-01\.

He is a member of the International Council, chaired by [Henry Kissinger](/wiki/Henry_Kissinger "Henry Kissinger"), at the [CSIS](/wiki/Center_for_Strategic_and_International_Studies "Center for Strategic and International Studies"), a bipartisan Washington, D.C., think tank focused on national security and foreign affairs. Ruddy also served as a representative on the U.S. delegation headed by Senators [Joseph Lieberman](/wiki/Joseph_Lieberman "Joseph Lieberman") and [Lindsey Graham](/wiki/Lindsey_Graham "Lindsey Graham") to the NATO 44th [Munich Security Conference](/wiki/Munich_Security_Conference "Munich Security Conference").[Munich Security Conference list of participants](http://www.securityconference.de/konferenzen/teilnehmerliste.php?menu_2008=&menu_2009=&menu_konferenzen=&sprache=en&jahr=2008&), securityconference.de; accessed February 24, 2015\. 

From 2009 to 2013, Ruddy served on the board of directors of the [American Swiss Foundation](/wiki/American_Swiss_Foundation "American Swiss Foundation"), a nonprofit organization that fosters relations between the two countries. In 2015 he was elected to the board of directors of the Zweig Fund and the Zweig Total Return Funds, two New York Stock Exchange\-traded closed\-end funds managed by Virtus.

In January 2010, Britain's *[Daily Telegraph](/wiki/The_Daily_Telegraph "The Daily Telegraph")* ranked Ruddy as one of the "100 Most Influential Conservatives" in the U.S. The paper said: "Chris Ruddy is an increasingly powerful and influential player in the conservative media and beyond."Harden, Toby, ["The most influential US conservatives"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6967325/The-most-influential-US-conservatives-80-61.html), Telegraph.Co.UK, January 12, 2010\.

Ruddy has been both a "Patron" and a "Sustaining Donor" to the [Wikimedia Foundation](/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation "Wikimedia Foundation"). He is an alumnus of the [American Swiss Foundation](/wiki/American_Swiss_Foundation "American Swiss Foundation").


How was Chris Ruddy ranked by the Daily Telegraph?