In the early hours of Sunday December 15, Newsweek's Naveed Jamali and Alex Rouhandeh published their latest story on Olivet University in a series that already spans more than a dozen articles over two years, now pushing the narrative that it will be shut down. Newsweek's headline proved to be false when the university confirmed that as of December 11 it had decided to continue operating in the state through religious exemption. The Newsweek reporter writing the story also failed to mention that he was the one who instigated California regulators against Olivet University in the first place.
In Olivet's official statement titled Olivet University Decides on Dec 11 to Continue in California Under Religious Exemption, the University stated it "is currently preparing to appeal the decision through the appropriate legal channels to address the matter thoroughly." The university also announced their decision to remain in California under the religious exemption, for which they applied on December 11. The exemption status allows the school to freely operate all of its religious programs without a license from the state, according to California's Education Code C.E.C. §94874(e).
By sensationalizing the headline and reporting without the essential facts that directly contradict the article's storyline, Newsweek proved once again its intent to mislead the public in its efforts to tarnish Olivet University's reputation.
A representative of the university also pointed out to HNGN that Newsweek requested comments from the university on Sunday morning at 9.08am, more than 20 minutes after publication, despite Newsweek's claim that "Olivet did not respond to a request for comment on the decision before this article was published." The fact that Newsweek did not even bother to wait for a response from the university only further confirms the bias of its predetermined narrative.
After finding the university's statement online and adding a quote to its own article later in the day, the author of the Newsweek story appears surprised by the university's plans, contrasting with the gleeful enthusiasm with which the story was written. A simple Google search on California's religious exemption, as well as a general understanding of appeal rights, would have informed an objective reporter of such potential decisions by the school.
First instigating, then reporting - an ethical issue in journalism
Just last month, an article by University Herald revealed that the genesis of BPPE's "investigation" into Olivet University did not come from a student or a faculty, but from Naveed Jamali, a former double-agent who authored no less than 13 stories targeting the Christian school. The author of the story stated: "Naveed Jamali's role as both instigator and reporter exemplifies the ethical dilemmas inherent in such practices. For a publication that claims to uphold journalistic integrity, Newsweek's actions raise serious questions about its credibility and motivations."
According to an official document, BPPE "received information via email, on June 28, 2022, from Naveed Jamali, Editor-at-large for Newsweek, stating Olivet University [...] is under federal investigation for money laundering, trafficking, and visa fraud [...]".
The same unverified allegations were used by Jamali in the State of New York, where Newsweek instigated a decision by the state's education department to decline renewal of the university's temporary permission to operate. In Jamali's prior debunked article, the claim that the university was "shut down" in New York was also false, as it only related to a non-renewal of a temporary permission, while the charter application remains active and pending.
The university also emphasized at that time that the campus was always meant to be used for more than the school. "In order to prioritize the Evangelical Center for service to the global Church through its various elements, including a technology park, Christian innovation center, a hospital to serve the mission community, a "business as mission" center, a sports center, an evangelical-themed museum, and an entertainment complex, among others, OU decided to put its full focus on those efforts at this point in time, while the charter application is being processed," the university stated, rejecting the notion of Olivet ceasing its New York operations indefinitely.
Why Newsweek is attacking a Christian university
Newsweek and Jamali's questionable journalism ethics, acting as both instigator and reporter, point to ulterior motives. In early 2022, Newsweek's CEO, Dev Pragad, threatened Olivet with the launch of a 'nuclear bomb' to pressure a Newsweek shareholder, who was connected to the university, to give Pragad full control of the publication. The relentless attacks by Jamali, combined with the boardroom struggle, suggest he is acting under the influence or direction of Pragad in this series of some 20 Newsweek reports to date.
HNGN previously wrote an in-depth report on Newsweek's covert inner circle that has been the driving force behind its questionable coverage of Olivet University. Newsweek also failed to report that another of its inner circle operatives, Alex Rouhandeh, is facing a $10 million defamation and tortious interference claim from the university in Florida federal court.
For the past two and a half years, Newsweek has been manufacturing and exaggerating controversies regarding Olivet University with an acute and relentless focus. The journalistic failures of this Newsweek story, in the same way as with the prior, appear to stem from a covert inner circle within the publication, more concerned with damaging the university rather than reporting the truth.
