The Media Line Ltd
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 522276084
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- New York, NY, USA
- Phone
- 9174782949
- Rating
- 68
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Media, Communications Organizations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,929,362
- Expenses
- $1,591,186
- Assets
- $459,978
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
5 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- FELICE FRIEDSON (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- FELICE FRIEDSON (PRESIDENT): $155,889 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The media line specializes in coverage of the middle east; issues of international relations; public policy and journalistic education. By virtue of its credibility and success in transcending politics, the organization has succeeded in providing a source for teaching standards of journalism; training novice journalists; creating cooperative environment among adherents to opposite sides of conflict; and providing a reliable source for public policy and decision-makers.
What it reported doing in 2024
1. Non-profit news agency providing complete coverage of the middle east. Working in print, radio, television and internet, the media line reports from the region, providing news and information through its own infrastructure and through the provision of stories to the public via newspapers, radio networks and television networks. The media line is distinguished by its committment to providing context and background to its coverage.2. The mideast press club, an initiative of the media line, has emerged as a major force in enhancing the professionalism of middle east news coverage; cooperation and coexistence among journalists from opposite sides of the conflict. Through the mideast press club, journalist find opportunites to work with colleagues; to expand upon knowlege and skills; and to nurture future generations of journalists covering the region. 3. The media line continues to enhance its program of intership training. Interns have been accepted to the media line to learn skills and develop respect for the differences between journalism and other communication disciplines such as advocacy or public relations. Interns who have trained at the media line have received recognition from national publications and educational institutions.4. The media line makes its staff of professionals available to educational institutions and cultural organizations with an interest in international relations, foreign policy and the middle east in particular. The media line is available to educational professionals for assistance in obtaining information and as a location for out-of-class experiences.5. The media line press and policy student program is an innovative opportunity for students to globalize their educational experience by connecting to an active news bureau located in what is arguably the world's most contentious region, studying journalism and public policy under the mentorship of veteran journalists, while earning academic credit or pursuing independent study.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 78
- Transparency & Controls: 54
- Accountability: 66
- Sustainability: 54
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 73.2%; rating input score 73
- Program expense ratio: 88.8%; rating input score 89
- Fundraising efficiency: $35.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 5th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 60%; rating input score 60; 12th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 17.5%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.29; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 12.9% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 73.2% of revenue deployed · 88.8% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 3 of 5 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.4M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $156K · 5 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $1.1M reported
- Consistency: 17 of 18 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
- Filing history: 10 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 14/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
- Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.