Exclusive: Investigating Newsweek's Role in Wrongful Allegations Against Olivet University
ByIs there a hidden agenda at Newsweek targeting Olivet University, the Christian college now thrust into controversy?
Olivet University, a bastion of Christian higher learning, is battling a storm of serious accusations, from financial missteps to human trafficking.
At the heart of the controversy is Naveed Jamali, Newsweek Editor-at-Large, whose suspected involvement in triggering inquiries with questionable claims has come under the microscope.
The Genesis of the Allegations From Newsweek
On June 28, 2022, Naveed Jamali fired off an email to the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), lighting a fuse on an inquiry into Olivet University.
In the email, he alleged federal probes into money laundering, trafficking, and visa fraud. While these claims stray from the BPPE's purview, they led the bureau to initiate a probe into the university's compliance with state educational standards.
Further emails reveal Jamali's active efforts to push other regulatory bodies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and state agencies in California and Tennessee, to wrongfully scrutinize Olivet.
His correspondence with New York State Education Department (NYSED) officials, highlighted below, shows a pattern of leveraging unverified accusations to provoke investigations, aligning with his reporting for Newsweek.
Questionable Tactics and Unethical Practices
Jamali's approach raises serious concerns about journalistic integrity. In an email dated June 28, 2022, he offered to share "off-the-record" information with NYSED officials, implying he possessed unpublished details that might sway their opinion.
This blending of investigative journalism with active advocacy undermines the principle of impartial reporting. By positioning himself as both a provocateur and reporter, Jamali blurred the line between objective journalism and personal agenda.
Moreover, Jamali's claims lacked substantiation. Despite repeated references to federal investigations, there is no evidence in the disclosed communications or reports to support the allegations of trafficking or financial misconduct. The investigation by the BPPE, detailed in Document 2, Page 3, eventually shifted focus to routine compliance checks on educational quality, far removed from the sensational claims initially made by Newsweek.
A Pattern of Media Manipulation
The controversy surrounding Olivet University is part of a larger pattern. A deeper dive into Newsweek's reporting reveals a recurring trend of exaggerated and misleading narratives targeting the institution. For instance, the magazine published stories accusing Olivet of "human trafficking," only to quietly reframe these allegations as "labor trafficking" without acknowledging the lack of evidence for the original claim. This rhetorical shift, as noted in other analyses, demonstrates Newsweek's tendency to amplify unverified allegations while avoiding accountability.
One example of this pattern is a civil lawsuit brought against Olivet by four former students. Newsweek's coverage of the case, led by reporters including Jamali, hinted at collusion between the publication and the plaintiffs' legal team.
This close coordination, coupled with Newsweek's previous reporting on similar themes, raises questions about the integrity of its coverage and the potential orchestration of narratives to fit a predetermined agenda.
Regulatory Fallout and Legal Battles
Jamali's email to the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education directly influenced the bureau's decision to assign special agents to investigate Olivet, as acknowledged by an investigation report obtained by the International Business Times.
Following surprise site visits to Olivet's campuses, the BPPE filed an accusation against the university in March 2023. Jamali and another Newsweek reporter, Alex Rouhandeh, quickly published an article announcing California's move to shut down Olivet.
This sequence of events underscores Newsweek's dual role in initiating and amplifying regulatory action.
The repercussions for Olivet have been severe. The university has faced heightened scrutiny from multiple state agencies, as well as reputational damage fueled by Newsweek's reports. In response, Olivet has filed defamation lawsuits against the publication, alleging a coordinated campaign to tarnish its credibility and disrupt its operations.
A Covert Inner Circle?
The allegations against Newsweek extend beyond the actions of individual reporters. Critics point to a covert inner circle within the publication that appears to drive these stories, possibly as part of internal power struggles. One theory links the attacks on Olivet to Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad's business interests, suggesting that the university became collateral damage in a larger corporate conflict.
This theory gains traction when considering the disproportionate focus on Olivet by Newsweek, compared to other media outlets. Despite the gravity of the allegations, no other major publication has reported on them with the same intensity or frequency. This exclusivity raises concerns about Newsweek's motives and whether the narrative has been manufactured to serve ulterior purposes.
Conclusion: A Manufactured Crisis?
The ongoing investigations into Olivet University appear to stem not from evidence-based concerns, but from a deliberate campaign by Newsweek to stir controversy. 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.
Olivet University's legal battle against Newsweek and Jamali may ultimately shed light on these practices. Until then, the case serves as a cautionary tale about the power of media to shape perceptions and the importance of accountability in journalism.
As this story unfolds, University Herald will continue to investigate the implications of this controversy, striving to uncover the truth behind the headlines.
