Up: Martin Poulter > Scientology Criticism
"We do not want Scientology to be reported in the press, anywhere else than on the religious pages of newspapers. Therefore, we should be very alert to sue for slander at the slightest chance so as to discourage the public presses from mentioning Scientology."
-L. Ron Hubbard, quoted in the Evening Argus
Despite Ron's threats, a lot of articles have been printed about Scientology in the UK over the years.
These "favourites" are a personal selection. By clicking on different years in the list above, you can go to full listings of the articles from those years.
| SOURCE: | DATE: | STORY: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Observer | 22/Nov/2009 | Celebrities lead charge against Scientology | Round-up of recent troubles |
| The Register | 20/May/2008 | Teen battles City of London cops over anti-Scientology placard | Anonymous' placards calling Scientology a "cult" are censored by City of London Police |
| Panorama (BBC TV) | 14/May/2007 | Scientology and Me | Reporter John Sweeney shows how the Church of Scientology tried to impede him from making a documentary about them |
| The Heaven and Earth Show with Gloria Hunniford (BBC TV) | 13/May/2007 | (Item about the Panorama documentary) | Panorama editor Sandy Smith describes the pressure the film makers were under when investigating Scientology |
| Evening Standard | 12/Jan/2007 | How the Church of Scientology found its way into British politics / Labour given thousands by Scientology charity | ABLE hires stalls at political party conferences |
| Sunday Times | 07/Jan/2007 | Revealed: how Scientologists infiltrated Britain's schools | Narconon gets access to thousands of children in UK schools |
| Evening Standard (London) | 23/Oct/2006 | Tom's aliens target City's 'planetary rulers' | Investigation uncovering the pseudo-military culture of Scientology and its hate campaign against psychiatrists |
| BBC Radio Five Live | 02/Jul/2006 | Five Live Report: Mind Games: Scientology vs. Psychiatry (Audio) | Undercover investigation of Scientology's interference with help for disaster victims |
| Independent | 18/Apr/2006 | The Secrets of Scientology | An undercover report from East Grinstead |
| Observer | 09/Apr/2006 | Inside Scientology | Lengthy undercover investigation reprinted from Rolling Stone |
| Evening Argus (Brighton) | 13/May/2000 | Inside the Scientologists | Reporter infiltrates for six weeks, quotes internal documents and also interviews Bonnie Woods |
| Daily Telegraph | 21/Sep/1999 | Scientologists on trial for fraud, violence and quackery | Major trials in France |
| Daily Telegraph | 20/Nov/1997 | Detective on trail of TV pair | Very good summary of the intimidation tactics used by Scientology against the team who made the Secret Lives documentary on the life of L Ron Hubbard |
| Secret Lives (Channel 4) | 19/Nov/1997 | L Ron Hubbard (biography) | Lengthy biographic documentary, featuring interviews with several close associates of Hubbard as well as archive footage and documents |
| Independent on Sunday | 09/Nov/1997 | Why Channel 4 is haunted by Scientology | Intimidation and harassment of the Secret Lives documentary film crew |
| Sunday Times | 19/Jan/1997 | Hounded by the church of stars and hype | Extensive reporting about the harassment of Bonnie Woods |
| Big Story (ITV) | 28/Nov/1996 | The S Files | Focusing on financial allegations, criminal charges and suicides. |
| BBC Newsnight | 17/Sep/1996 | Scientology adverts | Interviews and report followed by studio discussion, featuring Heber Jentsch, Ian Haworth of Cult Information Centre, John Wadham of NCCL and David Mellor MP. |
| Big Story (ITV) | 13/Jul/1995 | Inside the Cult | This report mixes interviews (with high-level defectors and independent researchers) with footage obtained by taking a hidden camera into the Poole mission and into Saint Hill. |
| The Net (BBC 2) | 15/May/1995 | Scientology versus the Internet | Background to the raid on Dennis Erlich's home and the ensuing court case. Includes interviews with Helena Kobrin, Tom Klemesrud, Dennis Erlich and Shari Steele of the EFF. |
| Evening Argus (Brighton) | 13/Jun/1994 | Secret of a drugs 'cure' | Comprehensive exposé of Narconon, its connection to Scientology and its dangers |
| Evening Argus (Brighton) | 10/Jun/1994 | The Missing Word | Investigation of Greenfields School and its concealed links to Scientology |
| Evening Argus (Brighton) | 12/Apr/1994 | Victims who are Fair Game | The harassment of Jon Atack |
| Sunday Times | 03/Apr/1994 | Cult accused of intimidation | Describes Eugene Ingram's 1994 visit to Britain and his targetting of several Scientology opponent . |
| Evening Argus (Brighton) | 30/Mar/1994 | How a Church aimed to sell itself | |
| Evening Argus (Brighton) | 29/Mar/1994 | Just the worst two years of my life | |
| Evening Argus (Brighton) | 28/Mar/1994 | Secrets of Saint Hill | |
| Independent | 31/Jan/1994 | Prisoners of Saint Hill | How scientology deals with its members going psychotic. |
| Independent | 09/Dec/1993 | Cult prosecuted over safety of commune: Scientologists deny misleading council on 'overcrowding' | A leaked internal document exposes violation of health and safety regulations in a Scientology building in Sussex. |
| TVS (Regional TV) | ?/Nov/1987 | Facing South: Scientology, the Cult Business | Broadcast date unknown: a documentary covering many aspects of Scientology and Hubbard's life |
| Sunday Times | 18/Oct/1987 | Scientologists in dirty campaign to stop book | Attacks upon the author, publisher and serialising newspaper of Russell Miller's book "Bare-Faced Messiah" |
| The Listener | 30/Apr/1987 | The 'extended sting operation' of Scientology | Panorama reporter John Penycate explains the history and ethos of Scientology and describes how the Church reacted to his documentary |
| Panorama (BBC TV) | 27/Apr/87 | Scientology - The Road to Total Freedom? | Interviews with Scott Mayer, Hana Whitfield, Don Larson and others (details) |
| Sunday Times Magazine | 28/Oct/1984 | Sinking the Master Mariner | The coup that took place after LRH's death; the infamous Mission Holders' Conference; mass defections; allegations of imprisonment and forced labour |
| The Times | 24/Jul/1984 | Judge brands Scientology 'sinister' as mother is given custody of children | Details of Mr. Justice Latey's damning judgement in the High Court |
| Guardian | 09/Feb/1980 | Sect framed journalist over "bomb threats" | Operation Freakout against Paulette Cooper and Operation Italian Fog against Gabe Cezares |
| Guardian | 08/Feb/1980 | Scientology's bizarre manual of dirty tricks | Internal documents give details of illegal tactics used to silence Scientology's enemies |
| Guardian | 07/Feb/1980 | Snow White's dirty tricks | Details of Operation Snow White, Operation Freakout and other surveillance and harassment operations |
| News of the World | 04/May/1969 | Bid to Muzzle us Fails | Brief history of Scientology and its ill effects after its lawsuit against News of the World collapses |
| Daily Mail | 22/Aug/1966 | Minister is asked to investigate... The case of the processed woman | Karen Henslow, a mentally ill woman, is told to "love death" and encouraged to disconnect from family and friends |
Other Countries: For an archive of US media, go to Ron Newman's media archive. For german press reports, go to Tilman Hausherr. Karin Spaink has some Dutch articles. Some articles from the Republic of Ireland have been included in this archive
Attention Journalists: Any journalist who wants to investigate Scientology should read Robert Vaughn Young's Quill article.