Archive for February 5th, 2017
Alert: Ready or Not, An 11,000-word, Multi-Stream, Detail-and-Documentation-filled Post is Next, Imminent, Upcoming and So Forth…
“Ex-Christian Post Publisher, Bible College Convicted in $35M Fraud Scheme” in Christianity Today, ‘Gleanings,’ by KATE SHELLNUTT – FEBRUARY 20, 2020. Image added post-publication to my Feb. 5, 2017 post on same topic / entities (IBT Media, Olivet College, Etienne Uzac, and more), post shortlink ends ‘-5IC’)
POST TITLE ADDED (for short-link) and corrected Feb. 23, 2020 to reflect its actual, vs. originally reported length: (Original read “18,000 words.” Perhaps I’d partitioned it later, DNR offhand, but right now, it’s about 11,000 words according to my WordPress stats which display at the bottom of all posts in edit mode).
Alert: Ready or Not, An 11,000-word, Multi-Stream, Detail-and-Documentation-filled Post is Next, Imminent, Upcoming and So Forth… [short-link ends “-5IC,” first published Feb. 5, 2017].
The theme “pay attention to ownership [and buying and selling] of media platforms” is an ongoing one for me, I’m working on a draft today based on two non-profits to make the point. However I only came back looking for any prior post on IBT Media and Etienne Uzac (easily searchable terms, at least on this blog!) after noticing a current article from Christianity Today as I was logging on to something else. Under “Gleanings,” it reads, and see nearby image:
Ex-Christian Post Publisher, Bible College Convicted in $35M Fraud Scheme:
The money laundering case left a Christian media network out of business and Olivet University owing $1.25 million.
[Incidentally, this one is about 10,000 words. I had some things to say, and show.]
“Things happen” when one’s development editor, copyeditor, news editor, lay-out person, the person getting the publication schedules and the marketing department head in charge of soliciting advertising and subscription revenues, in short, everyone but the editor in chief are is all out on strike and the place is being run by enthusiastic, under-paid freelancers and interns. Some things which should happen more regularly, like publishing that issue, also don’t happen.
NY Sec. of State Bus. Entity Search Results for IBT Media (showing current CEO). This is the NY Div of Corporations Entity Search Site (must use a “Captcha” to prove you’re a human. Or other animate, computer-fluent being who can respond to visual cues with the proper keyboarding, or voice-assisted keyboarding action).
Bottom half of IBT Media Inc NY Corp Div filing showing only 2006 start date + 1000 issues of stock (no par value). And two prior names. Click to read larger version
Or, as in my situation, where none of the above positions exist except all of them rolled into one function, position that is, person (me), similar things can and do (or, do not) happen. Publication schedules are pushed back while stories are being developed.
This is a Forbes article dated August 3, 2013 by Jeff Bercovici
When there is no publication entity with print advertising or newsletter subscription revenues, or in fact ANYTHING generating ANY revenue, the tendency is to follow one’s longest suits (which in my case is identifying and following the investigative leads surrounding general themes, not editing, formatting, and getting them out in sufficiently NOT in depth format, or serial form such that they come out on pre-determined schedule) sometimes overrides other instincts (if they even exist here) that a more self-preserving, subscription/advertising-based revenue-generating, not to mention crowd-pleasing business instinct would enforce as the standard operating practice.
A revenue source or sponsor is more administrative overhead, but also more production capacity.
Or, if this wordpress-based on-line platform (blog) had a previously established sponsor — whether government (like this one, although it ends in *.org), or tax-exempt foundation (like this one), or a private university (like this one) or an entire corporation existing as its own entity — but supported by, it seems, a religion (like this one*** and see next image, not to mention the ones just above), it would be spitting out posts more regularly
***Recent info says IBT Media bought Newsweek in 2013 and are already laying off their own staff (shared in common or rotating basis? with Olivet University) and talking about selling off Newsweek) — then resources could be drawn from those places to support a news, editorial and marketing staff, before laying them off when things don’t go as planned:
(viewed early Feb. 2017) IBT Media (who runs this) is a NY Corporation filed only in 2006; articles have been written on its other affiliations by Mother Jones, New York Post, BusinessInsider.com, and other on-lines. I also looked up some of the related filings and tax-exempt entities (Olivet University actually is showing under two different EIN#s in California…)
(look up the article for active links. The screenshot is actually from another in-the-works post)
However you want to view it, I’m going to handle an overloaded but quite current, relevant, and I believe nevertheless fascinating post I’ve been working on for well over a week, one which just won’t stop sprouting new tendrils on the top, and broader, deeper roots on the bottom, by simply publishing the thing, under this title:
If this were baseball, and no home run was imminent, with bases loaded, I might punt. If it were football and the first down wasn’t about to happen but potential for a field goal existed (and assuming there were actually a team), I’d kick. Whatever the analogy was, I want to ditch the burden of concern about it NEVER being (a) complete enough to my satisfaction AND (simultaneously) (b) all those images lined up properly and connections between the main theme and off-shoots clear enough and © the whole thing being under 18,000 words and staying there (or shorter) until it really was publication-ready, my standards (don’t laugh! I have them!).
So this post is for a preview of some of the topics in the upcoming, imminent 18,000-worder. I’ve also liberally sprinkled postings (images, articles) regarding the strange “The International Business Times, Inc.” (former name) now going by “IBT Media Inc.” and some thoughts and commentary for these times on — why should we think that colonization, racism and sexism somehow went away last century, and isn’t happening to the United States?
In quoting an older and very well-written source on this, I found new information about how “H-Net: Humanities and Social Services On-Line” sponsored? or at least hosted by a public university (Michigan State U., East Lansing) is still up soliciting funds, filing tax returns, but missed filing its annual report for the State of Michigan 2014, 2015 and 2016 until (just recently) finally getting administratively dissolved– while the receipts keep coming in.
Such an interesting world we live in, and while I’m sure many are emotionally processing losing (or winning) in the recent US Presidential election, and the on-line media and cable TV outlets, plus main print publications, are featuring it daily (no doubt this is good for sales), it’s also good to remind ourselves who owns them, and who owned them five years earlier, ten years earlier, and what the wealth that bought them represents. Some of which my imminent post delved into also.
After all — subscriptions, advertising revenue, or sponsors all still feed into what gets published.
I’ve also scattered through it some references to the interesting religious-business-university (sic) outfit founded on a charismatic leader who says he parted from his early background in the Unification Church, but seems to have brought along SOME of its theology (rumors he’s the second Christ were allowed), some Scientology-like qualities (suing the critics into silence, almost), and some of its business practices too — towards both the workers, and the multiple organizations pumping up a public media presence which, apparently, wasn’t exactly self-sufficient.
I hope you enjoy the variety of information and insights on this post, as I’m sure you will on the next one also. As ever, I like to post the images (annotated and otherwise) to go with the stories, which also affects speed of output — but I believe adding to the quality and credibility. Also, there are plenty of quotes, all of which needs to be tweaked for layout and size.
Case in point: Even when there has been paid staff, sometimes they get ditched. For example:
Sometimes even established publications have to ditch operations, or underpaid staff. IBT Media (which now owns Newsweek, at last check) had to. Being digital itself, its ex-staffers certainly knew how to publicize the problems:
Read the rest of this entry »
Let's Get Honest! Absolutely Uncommon Analysis of Family & Conciliation Courts' Operations, Practices, & History 