Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "Church of Scientology" ...

  • The Money Machine

    The four part series about the Church of Scientology's vast and unusually aggressive fundraising aparatus reveals how the church collects tens of millions of dollars each year using tactics that intimidate and coerce the people it professes to help -- its parishoners.

    Tags: Church of Scientology; funding; religion; church

    By Thomas C. Tobin; Joe Childs

    Tampa Bay Times

    2011

  • Inside Scientology

    The investigation examines the extraordinary amount of control the Church of Scientology has over its members. One story shows how church members were pressured to get abortions or face jobs loss. Other stories examine the church's questionable finances.

    Tags: Church of Scientology; Scientology; abortion; religion; church corruption

    By Thomas C. Tobin; Joe Childs

    Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.)

    2010

  • Scientology vs. Anonymous

    This series focuses on the “struggle between one of the world’s most secretive churches and the internet’s most elusive protest organization”. Further, it reveals that the allegations of abuse by the Scientology leaders were never investigated by law enforcement. Additionally, the Anonymous protesters, considered a hate group, received donations from ranking church members.

    Tags: Hemet, California; Riverside County Supervisor; L. Ron Hubbard; origin; religion; controversy; battle; war

    By Nathan Baca

    KESQ-TV (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.)

    2009

  • Inside Scientology

    "The story provides an unprecedented view of life inside the Church of Scientology as told by former church staffers". Their accounts state how management promoted a culture of violence and abuse. Further, if someone ran away from the Church they were interrogated to keep them quiet about the inner troubles. But in late 2009, many parishioners began to speak out about the management's behavior.

    Tags: Church; Marty Rathbun; Mike Rinder; David Miscavige; leader; physical violence; religion

    By Joe Childs; Tom Tobin

    Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.)

    2009

  • Scientology: A Question of Faith

    "The report is an hour-long investigation into the Church of Scientology's vehement opposition to the practice of psychiatry, and how that many have contributed to the brutal murder of Elli Perkings..." Perkings was a Scientologist whose son, Jeremey, suffered acute schizophrenia. He went without any formal psychiatric treatment. He stabbed his mother to death because he believed she was evil.

    Tags: psychiatric; faith; Scientology; schizophrenia; murder; family; mental illness; modern medicine; religion

    By Susan Zirinsky; Peter Schwitzer; Peter Van Sant; Miguel Sancho; John Bentley;

    CBS News 48 Hours

    2006

  • Scientology Unmasked: Inside the Church of Scientology

    This five-part series from the Boston Herald describes allegedly fraudulent and deceptive conduct by Scientologists in public and private schools in Massachusetts. Church members failed to identify their group, Narconon, as part of CHurch of Scientology while soliciting and accepting money from school boards and companies in payment for anti-drug lectures in schools. They pressured unusual methods of detoxification, pressured students to serve the church, pressured vulnerable accident victims with promises of healing; recruited black-community groups without disclosing all information; tax money wrongfullt used; intimidation

    Tags: L. Ron Hubbard; Scientology; deception; wrongful death; cult

    By Joseph Mallia

    Boston Herald

    1998

  • Cult Awareness Network

    For more than 20 years, the Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was the nation's best-known resource for distraught parents worried that cults had gained control of their children. From its offices in a Chicago suburb, CAN responded to more than 20,000 inquiries a year, counseled relatives and disseminated information through the media. The group still has friendly consultants eager to mail you information, but CAN is now being run by followers of the Church of Scientology. The report shows how the Church of Scientology drove CAN into bankruptcy and then purchased its name, logo, hotline number and address.

    Tags: TAPE

    By Rich Bonin;Trevor Nelson;Lesley Stahl

    CBS News 60 Minutes

    1997

  • Clash of the Titans

    Powers collide over freedom and events of the past, The German government says the Church of Scientology is a cult that relives the dark history of the country. Scientologists complain that it is the Germans who haven't changed. The battle continues as both sides are unwilling to compromise

    Tags: None

    By Russ Baker

    George Magazine

    1997

  • No title (id: 13945)

    The Westword looks into the controversial practices of the "self-empowerment" organization Landmark Education Corporation and its historical ties to cult-like EST and EST founder Werner Hans Erhard. Erhard, the charasmatic self-help guru of the 1970s-80s, fled the country to avoid tax evasion charges and allegations of incest. (April 18, 1996)

    Tags: Jackson CAR It happens Contest entry Hypnosis Colorado Department of Commerce Cult Awareness Network Scientology Unification Church 10 pgs.

    By None

    Westword (Denver)

    1996

  • alt.scientology.war

    Wired Magazine reports that "When computers are seized because the contain allegedly stolen intellectual property, or the security of anonymous remailers is pierced by police, the days of the Internet as a cozy, private, intellectual cocktail party are over. Welcome to mortal combat between two alien cultures - a flame war with real bullets... It turns out that a belief in free speech and an interest in Scientology may involve you in the bitterest battle fought across the Internet to date.... A fight that has burst the banks of the Net and into the real world of police, lawyers, and armed search and seizure,,, the real issues here are the boundaries of free speech and the future of copyright and intellectual property in the face of a technology that can scatter copies across the world in seconds...."

    Tags: Church of Scientology FBI Federal Bureau of Investigations technology freedom of speech plagiarism publishing distribution

    By Wendy Grossman

    Wired Magazine

    1995