Evening Post a front for Scientology?

bristol | media and culture | news report Thursday November 15, 2007 10:44 by Maria

Why is the local paper unquestioningly publishing material from the Church of Scientology?

The Citizens’ Commission on Human Rights (United Kingdom) sounds like a respectable organisation. Possibly something involving government, academics and citizens?

In fact it’s a front organisation for the Church of Scientology, the controversial new religious movement founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology has many famous followers, including Tom Cruise.

Scientology is against psychiatric medicine and the Citizens’ Commission on Human Rights campaigns against many aspects of mental health practice. This is why, for instance Cruise publically criticised Brooke Shields for taking anti-depressants.

The reader’s letters section of today’s Post carries a letter from Brian Daniels, the Citizens Commission’s National Spokesperson. He draws attention to recent media reports that the use of drugs to treat ADHD may not be as effective as thought. The paper publishes the Commision’s postal and internet addresses.

Whatever your feelings are on psychiatry (or Scientology) the average Evening Post reader would probably want to know the background of such a “straight” sounding organisation as the Citizens’ Commission on Human Rights.

From my experience in voluntary sector campaigning I expect this letter was probably posted to every local paper in the country because they often need stuff to fill up the letters pages.

The Post does its readers no service, especially those who might be suffering from mental health issues by not having the basic journalistic curiosity to ask questions about this organisation but by simply printing their material word-for-word.