Though the church says otherwise, its kinder and gentler press image seems to be deliberate, according to observers. Having settled its last major lawsuit in 2002 -- in which it had to pay former Scientologist Lawrence Wollersheim $8.6 million for mental abuse -- the church appears to be focused more on improving its publicity and less on defensive retaliation.
In addition to seemingly open access to inquiring reporters, the church has even invited journalists on tours of facilities that give an inside view nearly unthinkable for probing reporters five or 10 years ago. "I think they have been able to make the case that lots of the stuff against them is reduced to a matter of opinion," Melton said about the Scientology press coverage. Kent says the church's use of its celebrity members as ambassadors also softens its image. "They increasingly use their celebrities in a newsmaking fashion," he says. "They are public relations officers for Scientology, and part of their mission is to represent Scientology to the outside world and to other governments." But are news outlets simply afraid of unleashing their investigative attack dogs in case legal action and harassment will follow?
Alice Chasan, senior editor at BeliefNet.com, which monitors religious issues and coverage, said Scientology spokespeople seem to be in greater supply, and a greater number of comments from the church. At the same time, the in-depth coverage is minimal. "There is less of that kind of investigative reporting going on. Clearly, the spate of lawsuits has had a chilling effect," she says.
One recent example of aggressive reporting, however, comes from the Buffalo News, which ran a four-part series in late January and early February of this year.
The paper reported that the local Scientology church pressures some members to cut off contact from relatives critical of Scientology, uses "deceptive tactics" to recruit members, actively seeks acceptance by linking to local government leaders, and practices intimidation and harassment. The series also profiled former Scientologist Jeremy Perkins, a 28-year-old who stabbed his mother to death in a violent attack after he had -- at the church's urging -- stopped taking psychiatric medication.
Staff writer Mark Sommer knew going in about the church's litigious history. "I was aware of their past enough to be reluctant to delve in to that world, how intimidating they could be and anticipated the likelihood of being sued," he said. "But I was not going to let that get in the way." He said he received "veiled threats" from local Scientology leaders, but would not comment on them further.
He did say that he found few former Scientologists willing to speak on the record for fear of retaliation. He also noted several instances of church officials misleading him -- then later admitting their false statements when presented with evidence. In one case, officials initially said Perkins, the man who killed his mother, had not been a member, Sommer said. He also said church officials denied writing a speech for the mayor of Buffalo that was read when he declared "Church of Scientology Day" in the city in 2003. The mayor confirmed they had.
"They have a storyline," Sommer said. "They get frustrated if you don't go along with it." The reporter also noted that while the Scientologists were willing to provide him with all of the information for the stories he sought -- and gave him a tour of the local church and facilities -- they also tried to micromanage the reporting as much as possible. "They were in daily contact with the paper days before the series ran, with great concern over what would appear," Sommer recalled. "We met with them, but we wouldn't back off on the stories."
This story has been corrected since it was originally published.
About the writer
Joe Strupp is a senior editor at Editor & Publisher.
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