This article aims to objectively review the various articles Newsweek wrote against Olivet University, shedding light on the allegations and highlighting potential ethical concerns with the reporting.
Controversies Manufactured by Newsweek's Covert Inner Circle
Newsweek's modus operandi is unconventional, suggesting that a covert inner circle at the publication manufactures the controversies, reports on them, and subsequently triggers investigations against Olivet University by instigating various entities and agencies.
Especially, reporters Naveed Jamali and Alex Rouhandeh's actions depart from ethical and journalistic norms, as they continue to portray an atmosphere of turmoil and controversy disproportionate to the true circumstances around the university and its associated church denomination. Indeed, contrary to Newsweek's narrative depicting widespread controversy, it appears that such stories are primarily and exclusively generated by Newsweek alone and not by any other mainstream publication.
Accusations of Human Trafficking Morph into Labor Trafficking
Earlier, Newsweek published sensationalized headlines accusing Olivet University of "Human Trafficking," but this was shown to be untrue. Newsweek writers then quietly downgraded their rhetoric to accusations of "Human Labor Trafficking," a claim that again lacks any factual basis. Newsweek did so without acknowledging that its earlier "Human Trafficking" accusation was false. Neither does it possess any substantiated evidence for "Human Labor Trafficking," yet Newsweek persists in perpetuating these allegations against the school, prompting questions about its journalistic integrity.
Coordination Between Newsweek and Former Students Breaks Journalistic Integrity
Take for example the latest "article" that Newsweek threatened to publish. Rouhandeh has recently informed Olivet University that he will write about a civil lawsuit brought by four former students against Olivet University for alleged "Human Labor Trafficking." But this term already surfaced in Newsweek articles about Olivet University for many months before this first article on the lawsuit, raising suspicions of coordination between Newsweek's covert inner circle and these students and their attorney.
This is troubling because the media should engage in fact-finding with an attitude of public service. But if Newsweek's reporters are closely coordinating with these former students and their attorney, it is not possible to report on the same lawsuit under the guise of "fair and neutral" reporting. Coordinating with one party in a lawsuit while authoring a story about the same matter is a violation of journalistic integrity.
The reason why Newsweek is so unusually interested and invested in this lawsuit can be traced back to an internal shareholder dispute at Newsweek. To gain an advantage for Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad in this dispute, a secret team was formed within Newsweek to attack Olivet University as a proxy for another party in the dispute. It is this "covert" group within Newsweek that appears to be coordinating with these students to advance unsubstantiated claims against Olivet University, for the benefit of Pragad.
Dissecting the Lawsuit: Mere Pocket Money Dispute
The civil lawsuit involves four former ESL students who, in 2017, attended Olivet University. They came to the United States under full scholarships, but then asked Olivet University for additional pocket money for monthly personal expenses including cell phones. However, this was beyond the scope of their scholarship agreements. These students then joined student volunteer clubs and requested pocket money from these clubs.
A university source said that Olivet University will vehemently defend itself in court against the allegations made by the four former students. Court records indicate that the university has countersued the students for deceit and fraud.
False 911 Call Story Retracted
Previously, Newsweek had published a false story about a 911 call made by the former student from India, leading to a follow-on article by the MediaNews Group. Olivet University filed a defamation lawsuit against MediaNews Group asking for significant compensation for damages. While MediaNews Group retracted portions of the story and then went on to remove the story entirely from its news websites, Newsweek has yet to address its false reporting.
Newsweek Sued for Defamation
Consequently, Olivet University has initiated legal action against Newsweek and writer Naveed Jamali for defamation in a New York court. Although Newsweek's editor-in-chief Nancy Cooper has claimed that no one outside the newsroom is involved in editorial decisions, the lawsuit will likely reveal whether Newsweek's covert inner circle includes persons outside the newsroom. It may also reveal other rumored connections to Newsweek's covert group, including to secretive Asian and Pro-North Korean groups.
Newsweek's Role in Licensing Bureau's Investigation (BPPE)
In recent months, Newsweek extensively reported on alleged "violations" cited by the California Bureau for Private and Post-Secondary Education (BPPE) against Olivet University. However, the magazine fails to disclose that Jamali himself prompted the licensing bureau to carry out the investigation, again following the troubling pattern of being personally involved in a story that is subsequently reported on.
This is especially troubling because Naveed Jamali is an ex-Russian double agent with a Pakistani background who has defended the Muslim Brotherhood against being labeled a terrorist group. Olivet University is a Christian higher education institution.
An email sent by Naveed Jamali to BPPE on June 28, 2022 contained unsubstantiated claims of "money laundering, trafficking, and visa fraud" against Olivet University.
According to BPPE internal reports shown to this publication, on September 1, 2022, Jamali's email and other communications led directly to the assignment of BPPE special agents to investigate the university.
On November 15, 2022 and January 31, 2023, under the influence of Jamali and Newsweek articles authored by him, BPPE conducted surprise site visits on the university's campuses. On March 17, 2023, BPPE filed an official complaint against Olivet University.
On March 28, 2023, Naveed Jamali and Alex Rouhandeh co-authored a Newsweek article titled "California Moves To Shut Down David Jang's Olivet University As Feds Circle."
The goal that Newsweek's covert inner circle seeks to accomplish by intervening into the school's state licensing relationships is to sow bias against Olivet University using Newsweek's own articles containing defamatory content, in order to disrupt the school and to prevent it from receiving fair and due process. All this for the sake of advancing the personal business interests of Newsweek's CEO Dev Pragad.
Conclusion: A Tempest in a Teapot
The ongoing "controversies" surrounding Olivet University, as presented by Newsweek, are nothing more than a tempest in a teapot, exaggerated by a covert inner circle within the publication. These stories, driven by a select group, lack veracity and underscore the need for a careful examination of journalistic practices within Newsweek.
