MEDIA WATCH | THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

WSJ Prints Propaganda Review of Hatchet Job Book

While I appreciate that Guinn and Wright are bedfellows, in a figurative sense, further hyping of a notorious propaganda piece by Guinn actually cloaks him in the same mantle of bigotry.

September 8, 2018

Karen Pensiero
Managing Editor
The Wall Street Journal

Dear Ms. Pensiero,

The Journal’s anti-religious proclivity has surfaced again with Jeff Guinn’s August 23 piece promoting five books that disparage various religions.

Guinn embraces Larry Wright’s Going Clear, a book notorious for its inaccuracies. One primary Wright source, who had been interviewed by Wright for days, condemned the book: “It was one viewpoint, it was one anti-Scientology narrative that excluded anything that might muddy that narrative, or might throw any bit of it into doubt. That was the end product of the book, Going Clear.”

While much more has been said about the book’s biased and fallacious reporting, suffice it to say that Going Clear was never intended to be anything other than a hatchet job. Any “research” was conducted from the sole standpoint of “attack.” That its content is false and malicious is borne out by the fact that the Church of Scientology not only brushed off this propaganda assault, but is expanding across the globe, its membership increasing, thriving and winning. In the final analysis, that is what bears truth.

While I appreciate that Guinn and Wright are bedfellows, in a figurative sense, further hyping of a notorious propaganda piece by Guinn actually cloaks him in the same mantle of bigotry.

For easy reference about Scientology, please go to Scientology.tv. There you will find hundreds of hours of fresh and informative content, including features about its Founder, L. Ron Hubbard—much of it in his own voice—dozens of interviews with individual Scientologists from many different countries, hours of interviews with professionals in various fields who work with us, and much more.

The purpose of Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination (STAND) is “To end forever the defamation and bigotry toward Scientologists and the Scientology religion and to protect everyone’s basic inalienable right to practice their chosen faith.”

We are serious about protecting Scientologists and good people of all faiths from the malicious, tainted and bigoted coverage published so frequently by media outlets. It is the 21st century—long past time to end the fomenting or furthering of bigotry and prejudice.

Sincerely,

Edward Parkin
International Director, STAND