Power and legitimacy determine how much influence an accusation holds. Groups labeled as “cults” are seldom given fair treatment.
Anti-Cult
Beyond the Leader. 2. The Legal Effects of Guilt by Association
In addition to ready-made stories for sale, the media can also produce scripts for more aggressive forms of state control.
Beyond the Leader. 1. Guilt by Association and Stigma.
When leaders of religious minorities are accused of sexual crimes, media narratives can quickly mark the entire collective as either accomplices or victims.
France TV’s “Scientology, the Empire of Secrecy” (2026). 2. Mocking Belief and Silencing Believers
The public French broadcaster treated theology as a subject of ridicule and excluded Scientologists and independent experts from its show.
France TV’s “Scientology, the Empire of Secrecy” (2026). 1. Apostates and Media Rituals
A study of a one-sided documentary that gave voice only to angry ex-members and anti-cultists—a trend that repeats itself when the media deals with “cults.”
Scientology Behind the Climb? Anti-Cult Narratives, and the Nardi Case
An Italian mountaineer who was a Scientologist died in 2019 in the Himalayas. Apostate ex-members and the media manipulated the incident to blame the “cult.”
Not-So-Strange Bedfellows: The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Cult Movement
Is the SPLC federal indictment a reckoning for the anti-cult “experts” network?
Document: Expert Opinion on the Case of Konstantin Rudnev
As the media suggests that Russia may seek his extradition, Argentinian courts should be reminded that dissidents cannot expect a fair trial by Russian courts.
Misinterpreting Court Decisions: The Madrid Ruling Against the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Media and anti-cultists misinterpret a (wrong) decision as a judicial condemnation of the religion rather than a free-speech case.
China Uses “Buddhist Friendship” in Seoul to Advance Its Religious Policy Agenda
A CCP-controlled delegation promotes Beijing’s line while regional partners intensify pressure on the Unification Church, Shincheonji, and other groups labeled as “cults.”