You call this investigative?

All over Facebook and Twitter we're reading about the Church of Scientology's investigative piece in its own-produced Freedom magazine that supposedly contradicts the St. Pete Time's reporting this summer on the cruelty and abuses of the highest church leader on anyone below him.

Investigative? Please.

An investigative piece requires trained journalists questioning people,attributing that information and then seeking out alternate voices. It's called credibility. Who did the reporting in the 80-page Freedom magazine article? Only one side seems to be "reported" in this story.

Look at this. It's the explainer on page 79: "Investigative Reporting in the Public Interest Freedom Magazine has long been a voice for the Church of Scientology. Today,that voice exposes journalistic injustice within St. Petersburg Times—the trickery, the deception, the arrogance. But we know we are not alone. So to all who have been capriciously targeted by the Times: public servants, community leaders and members of the business community—let Freedom hear from you... And together, we can take a stand for decency and fair coverage,"

Rubbish.

Fair coverage? Where exactly is that within these pages? This so-called investigative report lectures from a specific point of view -- the antithesis of investigative reporting; the antithesis of intelligent questioning. Worst of all, this article has nothing to do with freedom. Such abuse of noble words and ideals hurts.

I revere good journalism. This isn't it. This is spouting off.

Cults and cons

Take a look at this: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/italy/090717/vatican-investigates-legionaries-christ.

It's about a Catholic Church sect under fire for corruption, including abusing and brainwashing followers.

I saw this today. Coincidentally yesterday I watched a video of actor Jason Beghe talking about his experiences with Scientology and why he left.

Seems Scientology and the Legionaries of Christ have something in common. Beghe wold use the word "con."

My mind is boggled by what I've read about these two religions/cults. I wonder how people can be so fooled. I also wonder if I could be conned. Mostly I wonder, though, how can you figure out who to believe.

A search into people's beliefs doesn't necessarily make things more clear.

Scientology inspires good journalism

Greater voices than mine have spoken out about the St. Petersburg Times’ three-part series on the current leadership in the religion – cult? – of Scientology. Still, I have a few thoughts on what’s in the stories and about the stories.

All these “ethics files” smack of paranoia and control. I was a manager long enough to know that documenting employees and their misdeeds is all about an entity surviving and the employee failing.

Leaders and spokespeople that scream their responses seem perilously close to appearing out of control in a kind of “thou protests too much” guilt persona. And, most congregants want their leaders to live the teachings of their church, and most teachings don’t promote yelling as a way to get to a higher place.
It’s up to others to decide what this series means to Scientology, but allow me to make a few comments on what it means to journalism.

The dogged, intelligent work of Joe Childs and Thomas C. Tobin shows boldness, compassion, and a commitment to verifiable facts and a responsibility to report both sides. That David Miscavige tried to pull an end run in a campaign of no comment by a last-ditch effort to quell the series – really, he wouldn’t have been available until to July? Is that what he tells his followers when they have questions? – in no way undermines the series.

These reporters didn’t rush to print, but nor were they going to be cowered by suppressive tactics. It was time to tell the tale after months of good, solid reporting.

That the stories are nicely written on top of everything else shows the power of good journalism to tell a good story. A relevant story that touches peoples’ core.
Stories like these are why this profession has Constitutional protection. And this type of work lives up to that protection during a time when too many newspapers are abdicating their nobility. Kudos to the St. Petersburg Times for lighting the way back to good journalism.

That the newspaper series has exploded into all parts of the Internet only goes to show the power of the two to join and give readers of all kinds something worthy to talk about.

I wanted to know ...

I was attending a neighborhood meeting in the Arcadia area of Phoenix recently and got to wondering why people are okay with speaking out about something they don't like, but don't seem okay about finding out more about it from the horse's mouth.

District 6 Councilman Sal DiCiccio held a neighborhood forum on the Phoenix Goddess Temple http://www.phoenixgoddesstemple.org because neighbors were concerned this group would be disruptive to the neighborhood. Whispered throughout the audience were accusations of prostitution. Whether the Female Goddess-centered group is a religion or not is for others to decide, but when one of the goddesses stood up and said she would be happy to explain what goes on at the temple and explain that it isn't prostitution, no one wanted to know.

Hmmm. Here's someone openly confronting what people are whispering about, yet no one took her up on her offer of explanation. Why?

I'm looking to do a story on NIMBY's and what power they have in bringing things into their neighborhood or kicking them out. Earlier in the year, not too far from the temporary Goddess Temple site, neighbors were up in arms when they thought the Church of Scientology was turning a one-time home of L. Ron Hubbard's into a museum.

Wonder what else neighbors in that particular area have objected to? Will be looking into that story.

Stay tuned.

Faith Matters

I make my living freelancing so I'll be pitching stories to various publications. However, if I don't get a taker on a story, I'll likely post the story here.

Please let me know what you'd be interested in reading about. I'll look into it and blog outright on some subjects, while doing full reporting on others. When stories get published, I'll post links.

I look forward to serving you, the reader.