Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is newsbusters.org legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns newsbusters.org?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for newsbusters.org. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
Registered 2005 · site is live · HTTPS valid
NewsBusters is a blog operated by the Media Research Center that publishes commentary and documentation on media coverage, with a stated focus on identifying liberal bias in news reporting. It serves readers interested in media criticism and accepts contributions from bloggers and commentators.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 21 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · one registrar since Sep 7, 2016 · no ownership change on record since 2016 · last checked Oct 10, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredJun 8, 2005newsbusters.org was registered on Jun 8, 2005.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 29, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 21, 2006 – Nov 9, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described newsbusters.org from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 9, 2013 (7 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
GoDaddy.com, LLCGoDaddy.com, LLCSep 7, 2016 – Oct 10, 2026 (latest)Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC (IANA 146) in the registration data recorded, first on Sep 7, 2016 and most recently on Oct 10, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 29, 2026
Ownership
Ownership recordsSep 7, 2016 – Jun 10, 2026Registration records for newsbusters.org are held from Sep 7, 2016 to Jun 10, 2026 (127 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No ownership changes recorded, 2016–2026
Zone file
Nameservers: stabletransit.comNameservers: stabletransit.comSep 7, 2016 – Jun 10, 2026Registration records listed stabletransit.com nameservers (dns1.stabletransit.com, dns2.stabletransit.com) for newsbusters.org from Sep 7, 2016 to Jun 10, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
AmazonFeb 14, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Amazon issued 3 certificates for newsbusters.org from Feb 14, 2026, the latest valid until Mar 15, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
2010201520202025Apr ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (11)
Jun 8, 2005Registration: newsbusters.org was registered on Jun 8, 2005.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 29, 2026
Jun 21, 2006 – Nov 9, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described newsbusters.org from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 9, 2013 (7 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “With NewsBusters, the MRC has joined forces with the creators of the influential web site RatherBiased.com, Matthew Sheffield and Greg Sheffield, to launch the NewsBusters blog to provide immediate exposure of liberal m…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Jul 1, 2007AboutUs record: “With NewsBusters, the MRC has joined forces with the creators of the influential web site RatherBiased.com, Matthew Sheffield and Greg Sheffield, to launch the NewsBusters blog to provide immediate exposure of liberal m…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2007
Sep 7, 2016 – Oct 10, 2026Registrar: Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC (IANA 146) in the registration data recorded, first on Sep 7, 2016 and most recently on Oct 10, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 29, 2026
Sep 7, 2016 – Jun 10, 2026Registration records for newsbusters.org are held from Sep 7, 2016 to Jun 10, 2026 (127 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.
Said about itself in 2006
Jul 1, 2006
“With NewsBusters, the MRC has joined forces with the creators of the influential web site RatherBiased.com, Matthew Sheffield and Greg Sheffield, to launch the NewsBusters blog to provide immediate exposure of liberal m…”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Said about itself in 2007Jul 1, 2007“With NewsBusters, the MRC has joined forces with the creators of the influential web site RatherBiased.com, Matthew Sheffield and Greg Sheffield, to launch the NewsBusters blog to provide immediate exposure of liberal m…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2007
Current AboutUs recordJun 25, 2026 – Sep 20, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Sep 20, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Let's Encrypt
May 1, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026 (latest)
Let's Encrypt issued 7 certificates for newsbusters.org from May 1, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 26, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 10, 2026.
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 10, 2026
Starfield TechnologiesSep 5, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Starfield Technologies issued 3 certificates for newsbusters.org from Sep 5, 2026, the latest valid until May 1, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Ownership:
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Sep 7, 2016 – Jun 10, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed stabletransit.com nameservers (dns1.stabletransit.com, dns2.stabletransit.com) for newsbusters.org from Sep 7, 2016 to Jun 10, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Feb 14, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Certificate: Amazon issued 3 certificates for newsbusters.org from Feb 14, 2026, the latest valid until Mar 15, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
May 1, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 7 certificates for newsbusters.org from May 1, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 26, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 10, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 10, 2026
Jun 25, 2026 – Sep 20, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Sep 20, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Sep 5, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Certificate: Starfield Technologies issued 3 certificates for newsbusters.org from Sep 5, 2026, the latest valid until May 1, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
All 4 safety checks passed (Oct 31, 2026).
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
HTTPS (passed)
Page metadata (passed)
Security headers (passed)
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Domain registered Jun 8, 2005 — 21 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: GoDaddy.com, LLC — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Jul 23, 2026).
latest result
HTTPS request succeeded for newsbusters.org.
checked Sep 30, 2026
The site names Media Research Center as the organisation behind it.
checked Sep 30, 2026
The live front page reads as a news or media site that is funded by donations or members, mainly for a general audience.
Authority 75/100— ahead of 75% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
75 is a percentile: higher than 75% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #27,566)+8
Verified continuity: 21.4 years (RDAP registration)+10
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+3
Calibration adjustment (published map)+13
Model score: 38/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 75/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
What newsbusters.org said about itself, 2006–2007
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (2 versions). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
With NewsBusters, the MRC has joined forces with the creators of the influential web site RatherBiased.com, Matthew Sheffield and Greg Sheffield, to launch the NewsBusters blog to provide immediate exposure of liberal media bias, insightful analysis, constructive criticism and timely corrections to news media reporting.
2007
With NewsBusters, the MRC has joined forces with the creators of the influential web site RatherBiased.com, Matthew Sheffield and Greg Sheffield, to launch the NewsBusters blog to provide immediate exposure of liberal media bias,insightful biased right wing analysis,constructive unobjective criticism and timely corrections to news media reporting.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date; self-description below is the 2013 record.
2005
Domain registered (Jun 8, 2005).
2006
First tracked by AboutUs (Jun 21, 2006); profile edited 7 times through 2013.
2013
Self-description at the time:
“NewsBusters.org Media Activism & Propaganda on the web.”
✓ domain continuity 21 years registered✓ live verified Oct 31, 2026
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 40 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 40 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment