Up: Martin Poulter > Scientology Criticism > UK Media Archive
(Item about Variety cancelling an article about Scientology)
Sunday Times, 11 July 1999
From Xenubat@primenet.com Mon Jul 12 21:33:15 BST 1999 Found at: http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/99/07/11/sticulcul01001.html?999
[snip]
Variety, the so-called bible of Hollywood, has been investigating the Church of Scientology. It's a tricky call to work out which is more powerful: the magazine or the church, whose members include stars such as Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and several top agents.
Variety hack Dan Cox has dug away, intrigued that Travolta is to star in the movie Battleship Earth, which is based on a book by Scientology's founder, L Ron Hubbard. Cox also discovered that the church owns several important buildings in and around LA. But then Variety began to receive nasty lawyers' letters, and Cox himself had what he calls "a sinister visit" at Variety from two church officials who demanded to see his notes.
The upshot is that Cox's article will not now appear. Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart will not say why. All he will say is that the church's legal actions have "increased suspicions rather than allayed them. Why would any group be so militantly self-protective if it had nothing to hide?"
Cox does not blame Bart personally for spiking his well-researched piece, though he is angry and frustrated. Now he has left Variety. Nothing to do with his piece being killed, he assures me. But Cox retains copyright. So who will dare publish? And be damned?
[snip]
Up: Martin Poulter > Scientology Criticism > UK Media Archive