No. The Church regards the media as an important element of society which, responsibly run and responsibly employed, can do a tremendous amount of good. However, biased and irresponsible reporting can cause enormous harm by circulating and perpetuating misinformation which stokes the fires of prejudice.

The Church has worked with the press on thousands of occasions over the years. A responsible press is a substantial contributor to the cause of social reform, and many of the Church’s exposes of human rights abuses have only become known through the help of the media. In fact, the Church’s Freedom magazine has honored many journalists who, through their dedication and persistence, have uncovered abuses or helped to bring about important reforms.

The Church has a policy of making its spokesmen rapidly available to the media during breaking stories so that media representatives have accurate, reliable information with which to work. The Church has also taken a number of steps to provide the media with basic facts about Scientology. In recent years, Church representatives have met with the editorial boards of major media all over the United States and in other countries to brief them on Scientology, its policies and its activities worldwide. These meetings helped to dispel the rumors and counteract the false allegations that have gathered in morgue files and in editors’ minds over the years. Such meetings have been very beneficial for both the Church and the media.

Why has Scientology been to court a lot of times?

The Church has gone to court in many countries to uphold the right to freedom of religion. In Australia, as one example, legal actions by the Church brought about a landmark victory which greatly expanded religious freedom throughout that country.

In the United States, the Church’s use of the Freedom of Information Act, taking government agencies to court and holding them accountable to release vital documents to the public on a variety of subjects, has been heralded as a vital action to ensure honesty in government.

In certain cases, the Church has used the courts to protect its copyrighted materials, or to ensure it rights and the rights of its members are safeguarded.

During the history of the Church, a few unscrupulous individuals, lusting for money, have observed how Scientology is prospering and rapidly expanding, and unsuccessfully have abused the legal system in an attempt to line their own pockets.