Marvin Olasky Resigns from Post at King's College
Marvin Olasky has resigned from his post as Provost of The King's College and will devote more time to his role as editor-in-chief of World magazine as the organization shifts away from magazine-only content to producing daily news.
The announcement posted last week comes just months after the college tapped Dinesh D'Souza as its new president.
"[J]ournalism is in a state of transition, and that has created a historically unique opportunity for an organization like ours. Seizing this opportunity will require all of my attention," said Olasky in a statement.
Olasky plans to remain Provost at King's until the end of January 2011. However, he has already begun his transition from New York City to God's World Publication headquarters in Asheville, N.C.
World currently prints a bi-monthly magazine and publishes daily news online. Under Olasky's leadership, the organization is looking to expand its news operations to daily news and "move aggressively into the space vacated by retreating news organizations."
According to World publisher Nick Eicher, the resignation was motivated by "opportunities" presented by World and that "no hard feelings" were involved. One of the newer offerings from World has been the daily newscast, "This is News," which Eicher started producing since January. The organization also plans to roll out a new content management system.
"We need his full attention and energy if we are to seize the opportunities afforded by the radical upheaval going on in the world of journalism," said Eicher in a commentary on the WORLD website. "As the industry casts about for new economic models and new journalistic models, we have settled on building a non-profit, reader-funded news organization devoted to biblically objective news reporting."
Olasky, however, had mentioned that differences did exist between him and D'Sousa in an e-mail to Christianity Today.
"It will come as no surprise to you that Dinesh D'Souza and I have different ideas about some things," said Olasky. "I'd like to leave it at that."
Olasky will continue his relationship with The King's College by serving as the first of its Presidential Scholars, starting February 2011. As a Presidential Scholar, he will be stand up for the foundational ideas of the college in the public square. He will also continue to organize and host the King's "Distinguished Visitors Series," which brings leading public figures to speak to students at the New York City campus.
D'Souza said he envisions the Presidential Scholar program as a means to counter the attacks against spiritual, political and economic freedoms.
"The Scholars will both critique the assumptions of atheism and secularism and propose alternatives to these failed systems as they seek to defend God, limited government, and free markets," said D'Souza.