This gentleman has character.

They could enter the Bristol sex industry and fuck ESPN employees.

 

Doesn't sound like the wife looked for a paying gig:

Jackie has spent most of the past four years as the unpaid executive director of an amazing charity we created, Youth Journalism International, which teaches students across the globe about journalism.

 

They write stories, take pictures, draw cartoons and so much more. For the past 22 years, it has been a labor of love for us both, a constant infusion of idealism and some incredible work on everything from Hurricane Katrina to Boko Haram. One of the things we emphasize is that journalism is not just a career, it is a calling, that it requires those who join its ranks to stand up for what’s right even when it is difficult.

And, who better to teach young, aspiring journalists covering stories like Katrina and Boko Haram than two reporters who've covered day-to-day life in Bristol, CT for 20 years.

And, so what about this charity that started in 1994?

Doesn't look like it's been very active. From there website:

YJI began in 1994 as a local group and grew into a global organization. Incorporated in 2007, it gained approval from the IRS as a recognized nonprofit in 2010.

About |

They didn't hold their first board meeting until 2009, and beyond the husband and wife, the meeting included two other people, one who "attended" over the phone, and one who "attended" via instant messaging. LOL



The website doesn't look like it gets updated very often. Very little new content.

They don't look to do much of anything. No financial assistance, and when the online form to sign up does work, it doesn't look like they monitor it:

Youth Journalism International does not charge students. It is free. So, no, there is no financial assistance. We are a shoestring operation that desperately needs more money so we can hire full-time staff. All we have to give students is our blood, sweat and tears.
...
Please send an email to yjieditor@gmail.com if the form isn’t working. Describe yourself and your ideas.
...
First, fill in the form under the JOIN tab above. Then start thinking about what you could write. If you don’t hear back from us, it’s because we are swamped, not because we don’t want you. Send us an email is you are eager to get started after filling in the form. Be sure to tell us you’ve filled it in completely.

About |

So, they don't seem to do much, but they're too "swamped" to reply to people who fill out their online form. In fact, you should probably also email them to tell them you filled out the form.

And, it's always Steve who replies to these inquiries, never Jackie, though she's working on it full-time.

It mostly sounds like kids can sign up, and then they get to say they have "members' all over the world:

Students get out of the program what they put into it. We have nothing to offer except our expertise, encouragement and access to places to publish. Students are not paid so don’t apply if you’re looking for a job.

Students who invest the most time and energy tend to have the best results, but everyone’s level of involvement is different. We might ask you to write something specific, but it is your choice whether to do it or not. Mostly, we ask students to think about their own schools and towns and tell us what they think the stories are. Then we can help them sort it out and teach them how to go about it.

This program is for self-motivated teens, and might not work for those who need constant attention and direction, which is something we just cannot give. There is no paid staff yet so all of the work is done by volunteers in whatever spare time they can offer.

So we really rely on students to do what real reporters do, which is to come up with their own ideas. Of course we will have suggestions, but they might not work or appeal to everyone.

We will offer help if someone needs it and is putting forth a lot of effort. Our involvement with any student largely depends on what they’re willing to do. Some are really busy and can only do a little bit. Others get very excited about this and do a great deal so we tend to have much more contact with them. Those who do the most usually learn a lot more, but everyone gets something out of it.

Join Youth Journalism International |

Our intent is to bring in the next new group of students in Summer 2015.

Did they? Who knows. This page was last updated in November, 2014.

But, it was still their "intent" in May of 2015:

At this point, we’re hoping to bring in the next class of YJI reporters during the summer of 2015.

Join Youth Journalism International |

And, it looks like it's been run this way all along, from 2012:

We do not turn away anyone who is under 25. But we are also very far behind in terms of bringing students into YJI. We are desperately short of the staff and money necessary to keep up with demand. It makes us sad, really.

Frequently Asked Questions |

This answer to a FAQ is great too:

Why does it take so long to join?

The reality is that we have a very small staff that can’t even begin to cope with the flood of applications that come in. If we don’t get back to you, it’s nothing personal. It’s no judgment of your abilities. It’s just that we never got to it. The problem we have is that we have spread ourselves very, very, very thin in order to deal with all the things YJI requires, from working with young people to posting stories online to administrative chores to fundraising. We probably should do more fundraising, since that’s the only way we’ll ever be able to keep up. We need a lot more money and a lot more staff to meet the demand.

Our best advice to those who want to get in the door is to fill out the application form, give us a chance to respond and then show you have the gumption to be a good reporter. But don’t be a pest. There’s a fine line to walk, but it’s amazing how many can pull it off.

Frequently Asked Questions |

If you somehow get them to respond, and you send them a story, they own it, and you can't post it anywhere:

Can I post a copy of my own articles on my blog, Facebook page or elsewhere?

No. You can post links to your work, of course, but the work is copyrighted and we want people to see it on Youth Journalism International’s websites. That’s where you want them to see it as well.

But, hey, they'll probably it up on their blog:

Where do YJI student stories appear?

Almost every story appears first on Youth Journalism International’s blog at www.YJIBlog.org. They are also soon available at YJI’s main website – www.YouthJournalism.org. Stories may also appear in partner publications and sites, newspapers and magazines. When that happens, links are on our blog.

Student pieces have also been republished in some textbooks.

The blog site does look to have a lot of content, which makes me think that stories just get posted with no editing at all:

Youth Journalism International

 

What a crucial need that charity must fill.

Hunger? Abused children? Women in horrible situations? Homeless epidemic? Animal abuse? How about getting a paying job so your husband can get out from under the tyrannical boss that drove you out of the profession?

No, Princess feels the need to change the world by teaching students around the world how to craft an effective lede. And like YF says, she sure as shit doesn't look to be working full-time on it. Must be because she's busy raising the kids? No, they're apparently in college.

Is this a man of character making a stand for journalism, or did he see this as a time he could walk away, watch a few Facebook shares turn into a tidal wave, gain a groundswell of public sympathy as a poor man who gave up everything to stand up to THE MAN, and wait for the job offers and offers of aid and support to start rolling in?

 

I'd guess that they thought back in 2009, when she "quit", that if they worked at it, they could turn this little mentoring project they had been working on into a full blown charity, from which she could receive a salary.

This is why they eventually have a board meeting 15 years after founding the charity, and finally get IRS recognition for it.

But, raising money probably turned out to be much harder than they expected, and she probably gave up.

He appears to reply to the occasional inquiry, and articles get posted to the blog, and to the site, but that's about it. Little evidence of further meetings, filings, fundraising, etc.

 

And that begs the question: What is she doing? No kids at home, no charity she's truly involved in, just sitting around with the collies while her husband goes through this career crisis and quits, leaving them with no income.

There are a lot of people who are in horrible situations with seemingly no way out because of circumstances out of their control. This doesn't merit an ounce of sympathy, IMO.

 

Kudos to the reporter. Nice way to get ignorant people to supoort a couple's lack of foresight and initiative.

 

Do they have a gofundme account yet?

 

Of course they do!

 

Yep, the "Help Me Stand Up to Sheldon Adelson" fund has raised $8,935 in the last 3 days.

There's no indication how giving him money will help him stand up to Sheldon Adelson, rather than to help this freeloader pay his bills.

 

One of the kids is getting involved. He's a "senior correspondent" for their parents' non-profit. The son would do well at Oberlin.

Kiernan Majerus-Collins | Facebook

Even uses the name-pronunciation tool in his Facebook profile. How cute!

 

OK, this is way beyond the discussion here, but ...

The man is Steve Collins, the woman is Jackie Majerus, they get married and both take the hyphenated Collins-Majerus last name?

If that doesn't give you the douche-chills, nothing will.