I got an alert there was some new “scientology news” from Google. Turns out it linked to an article in the Richmond Register, a small paper published 3 days a week in the town of Richmond, Kentucky (p. 40,000).
Obviously, this paper is in dire need of content to fill its pages. A kids event on the stage of the Los Angeles org would otherwise not make it into a small-town paper so far from LA.
But, this is not as noteworthy as the content itself.
It’s another of scientology’s deceptive press releases intended to make it appear they are “working with” other benign organizations in an effort to make themselves look benign.
The focus of the story is: “An ensemble of 22 kids proved “Rock and Roll is Here to Stay” with their high-energy rendition of Grease [PG] at the Church of Scientology Los Angeles last week, produced and directed by Inner City Shakespeare Ensemble Founder and Executive Director Dr. Melanie Andrews.”
“Dr. Andrews is dedicated to ensuring inner-city kids have the opportunity to learn, perform, and be introduced to Shakespeare and the world theater. The Church of Scientology Los Angeles shares her passion for providing opportunity to all young Angelenos. Inspired by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s belief that “human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,” the Church sponsors a chapter of Youth for Human Rights and supports programs that promote the freedom of expression, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19 and the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community as covered in Article 27.”
What this story never discloses is the LONG history Melanie Andrews has with scientology. Way back in 2012 she is mentioned in an article about Alfraudie Johnson’s scam World Literacy Crusade:
Directing the event was Dr. Melanie Andrews, teacher at Washington Preparatory High School, California Educational Theatre Association’s teacher of the year for 2011, and head of World Literacy Crusade’s performing arts department.
So, she has been a scientology shill (if not a scientologist) for many years, lending her name to give undeserved credibility to scientology front groups. Shame on her.
The article goes on with the usual foolishness, explaining that LA Org is “an Ideal Scientology Organization,” like this means anything to anyone and that it was “dedicated by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige in 2010.” And course they promote scientologyTV with links!
It is incredible that even a tiny newspaper like this would shill so blatantly for scientology.
Clearly an effort to gain meaningless stats. The best way to get pro-cult PR in the mainstream media is in places where few people will see it. That way no one is likely to complain or comment, making it seem the cult has finally gained broad acceptance in society.
this press release reminds me of how i was shown this type of PR years ago and i would tell people we are so humanitarian etc. not for one minute did i think it was a PR machine like this. i was so naive. They create a false universe for young people on staff who mean well and believe this shite just like I did way back then. tsk tsk 😏
Don’t these “stories” fall into the category of advertorials? An advertorial being an advertisement in the form of editorial content. (The term “advertorial” is a blend of the words “advertisement” and “editorial.” The advertisement is usually written to resemble an objective article and designed to ostensibly look like a legitimate and independent news story).
The small “papers” who pick up and publish these “ChurchofScientology”-cult advertisements probably
just need something to fill their otherwise blank content and do not check what it is they are publishing. The cult pays PRNewswire, Send2Press etc. for each story.
The “papers” who run these stories are stupid though in that they too should demand payment from the cult to run their “stories”/advertisments.
Sigh.
Hubbard had an idea of scn’s acceptance more tied to his ego and its PR than how “functional” it might be (as if ‘wogs’ were a bunch of idiots to convince).
Instead, DM mainly shifted the focus on scn’s acceptance by emphasizing the legal and monetary aspects (see IAS and ideal orgs). This concept extends even to using youngsters to get feedback on any media.
Out of all places I’m wondering why this paper/article ended up in a Smaller Kentucky?
But anyways I like how you addressed the foolishness that was in the article.
I don’t live to far from Richmond Kentucky. About an hour or so. A few of my friends live there so I may have to ask if they saw this article/paper. There is nothing related to scientology around that area that I know of. which makes it just as unusual than being placed in a small city in Kentucky. Scientology is trying to get its name anywhere it can. I’m not necessarily sure that it’s a good idea on their end to put a newspaper/article relating to Scientology in some whay out there since it’s in the Bible belt region.
We’ve both covered how the scientology press releases work several times. It’s beyond laughable. They have a non-stop machine cranking out this sh*t 24/7, but a check this morning of the Volunteer Ministers “news” page still records the most recent “Disaster Response” is from October 13, 2022.
From their “About Us” page:
“Because of their courage, compassion and training, they have become indispensable in times of greatest human need—traveling halfway around the world to help people who have lost everything in an earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, flood or the like.
This includes a corps hundreds strong at Ground Zero within hours of the 9/11 tragedy. It also includes more than 500 volunteers from 11 nations in Southeast Asia in the wake of the tsunami and over 900 Volunteer Ministers attending to victims in Louisiana and Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Likewise, during the Haiti earthquake disaster, the Church of Scientology and its parishioners flew in planeloads of much-needed medical and food supplies. In addition, they have brought in hundreds of medical professionals and Volunteer Ministers to help Haitians cope with their losses and rebuild their lives.”
BUT NOT ONE DAMN GUY TO MAINTAIN THEIR WEB PAGE?
I’m reminded of what those nice folks at Merriam-Webster would say:
Ludicrous:
1. Amusing or laughable through obvious absurdity, incongruity, or exaggeration.
2. Meriting derisive laughter or scorn as absurdly inept.
https://tinyurl.com/28e39f9t
And there’s been no shortage of disasters since that time.
I can’t work out the connection between Grease and Shakespeare. Also, why Grease [PG]? The film has so much camp stuff in it that it already was PG, I think.
Anyway, nice to see that they honour one of the better early films by their second-most-famous actor.
Mr. Rinder, you would have been in the CMO or Sea Org much of the time when it was first released, I suppose, don’t know when Travolta became a member (or ‘a public’ as the term I learn from recent reading) but Grease is still very funny in many parts.
Ideal Scientology Organization, I have no idea what it means, I tried to look it up, my impression is that it just means amalgamating Celebrity Centres with mundane orgs in new buildings in the same cities, thus extending the real-estate empire.
You are right to call out a shill. However, to a small newspaper, they’ve just been fed a colourful press release, ran with it without checking the origins.