MEDIA WATCH | MIAMI NEW TIMES

Miami New Times and Backpage.com

The Miami New Times, a part of the notorious “Backpage.com” online pimping and sex-trafficking network, saw fit to wrongly target officials participating in the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology in Miami.

9 May 2017

Miami New Times
Miami, Florida

Dear Mr. Strouse:

We find this typical of a media outlet prone to bigoted reporting.

Tim Elfrink in his recent article babbled, “so few politicians are willing to stick up for Scientology.” Wow. If he could be any more wrong he would exceed known limits.

But let’s help him out with some facts, and do a little research, belated though it is, just to help out a lazy reporter.

Hundreds of top-level government, academic, religious and other dignitaries have spoken at the more than 50 Ideal Church of Scientology openings. These include:

Academic professors
Members of federal and state governments
Elected officials—city, state and federal
Judges
Royalty
Senior military officials
Senior police officials
Community activists
Clergy and representatives of many faiths
Senior United Nations representative

Based on your reporter’s failure or refusal to research, is it any wonder today’s media outlets are a dying industry held up to scorn and ridicule? It isn’t.

Our country was founded on the free exercise of religion and belief for all religions, not just certain ones. I demand that in the future you refrain from such prejudicial remarks against the Scientology religion and Scientologists.

I invite you to find out what Scientology is really about by looking at www.Scientology.org.

Sincerely,
Alicia Selverson
New York, NY