How To Address The Press

From Non-Violent Uprising

The following is intended as a guide for Anonymous engaging in their first public encounter with the press. Much like there are rules for demonstrating, there are also rules for communicating. Public opinion is Anonymous' number one ally. The majority of the informed public agrees with our campaign against the Church of Scientology, so we must use this to our advantage. Public opinion is the lifeblood of any campaign, and Scientology has seasoned professionals; when they aren't hiding behind plexiglass.

Rule #0: Rules 1 and 2 of the Internet apply.

Rule #1:

If you have experienced speakers, debate club members, Public Relations professionals, or similarly skilled individuals, appoint them your spokesperson ahead of time.

Rule #2:

Often there will be no one with the experience to speak for your demonstration. Analyze your own self-confidence. If you find yourself lacking, perhaps someone who is more confident would be a better speaker.

Rule #3:

Do not give your name, or a fake name. To give a name is to give up being Anonymous. If the report insists that their organization's policy is to take a name and title, create an Alias. Avoid calling yourself a spokesperson. If you are the organizer for your demonstration, refer to yourself as an organizer for that area rather than a spokesperson or leadership figure. Anonymous has no leaders.

Rule #4:

No memes. The public will not understand, and the reporter's opinion of you may drop. How the reporter perceives you is the way that the public will perceive you when they read or watch the report.

Rule #5:

Determine your talking points beforehand. Reporters will have questions they have planned in advance, but these may reference the actions that Anonymous has taken prior to these demonstrations. You must know what you are talking about. Strong talking points include Lisa McPherson, the breaking up of families, the policy of disconnection, the policy of Fair Game, and the slave like conditions under which the Sea Org operates. If you realized just now that you had no idea what one or more of those talking points was about, you should do some research before the demonstration.

Rule #6:

Do not be afraid to decline to answer a question. If you are unsure how to answer something, declining to comment is better than speaking in broad terms and sounded like a fool.

Rule #7:

If the interview is not right away, ask if you may see a list of possible questions or topics beforehand. This is a common practice for interviews. If granted a list of questions, this will allow you to do specific research beforehand. Do not be surprised if a question is still brought up that you were not prepared for.

Rule #8:

Keep your cool. If the journalist is obviously hostile, attempt to answer their questions with as much dignity as possible. Do not insult them.

Rule #9:

Look to the future. Do not allow the press to harp on past actions. Steer your conversation towards the present and future of this movement.

Rule #10:

Consider the sit-in. Civil Rights activists would fill up a restaurant, denying other people entry. They did this to make a point, and now historians look back and call this Civil Disobedience. Anonymous took part in Civil Disobedience when this war started and it drew international attention. We have moved on from these actions and are staging worldwide Demonstrations. Avoid the use of the term “raid” when speaking to the media.

Rule #11:

Look the reporter or the camera in the eye, however they prefer. Avoid looking down at your feet if at all possible. If you come across as confident and commanding, the public will respect you more.

Rule #12:

Avoid the use of the words “um” or “like” as much as possible. A well spoken person commands more respect, resulting in less lulz at your personal image on international television.

Rule #13:

Don't ramble. Try to answer the question presented while steering the conversation to your talking points, but don't go off on a tangent.

Rule #14:

Be aware of your background. Having several hundred protesters behind you is better than a bare street.

Rule #15:

Always tell the truth.

If you follow these rules and prepare yourself beforehand, these rules will help you represent your demonstration and Anonymous as a whole in a positive fashion.

FAQ:

Q: Allegations have surfaced that Anonymous was involved in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on Scientology websites last month. Why did Anonymous do this?

A: From the beginning of this project, Anonymous has been about getting the word out about the dangers of Scientology. In order to raise public awareness, Anonymous had to get the world's attention. Anonymous engaged in short-lived Internet based acts of Civil Disobedience to generate international coverage. That method of protest is weeks behind us, and Anonymous is currently focused on real world demonstrations such as the one here today [or the one on the 10th if this is not in person.].

Q: How did Anonymous come to the decision to attack Scientology?

A: Scientologists may believe that this is a carefully organized effort by psychiatrists, "squirrels" and other “suppressive persons” to destroy the 'Most Ethical Group on the Planet' (as Scientologists refer to themselves). The truth of the matter is much less, and at the same time, much more interesting. Anonymous' ire was initially aroused when Scientology took legal recourse to remove the now infamous Tom Cruise Scientology indoctrination video from the Internet. At that time, Anonymous was a loosely connected group of web savvy individuals who support, among other things, freedom of expression and the right to free speech online. That, after all, is the spirit of the Internet.

When Anonymous took it upon themselves to research Scientology, they were shocked to find that this "church" is not simply an amusing cult beloved by Hollywood elites, but rather a very dangerous, mafia-like organization that is responsible for the deaths of dozens and the bankruptcy of thousands. Anonymous urges everyone who is curious about Scientology to do their own research on the subject.

Q: Why is Anonymous against Scientology?

A: Anonymous is not against Scientology, and fully recognizes everyone's right to choose, practice and uphold their own religious beliefs. It is not the actual religion of Scientology that Anonymous is opposed to, but rather the criminal practices of current Scientology management. These practices include preventing or denying adequate medical care for its members, urging families to 'disconnect' from anyone who disagrees with Scientology beliefs, hiring Private Investigators to stalk and harass critics, suing critics and members of the press who express antagonism towards Scientology, charging extortionate amounts for their religious counseling and services, infiltrating government agencies (as in Operation Snow White), and using slave and child labor under the guise of religion. We also object to Scientology's current tax-exempt status, which was gained through legal harassment of government agencies.

Q: Does Anonymous feel they are infringing on Scientologists' freedom of religion?

Absolutely not. Anonymous has no intention of preventing anyone from believing in or practicing Scientology. There is currently an international group of Scientologists called the Freezone who practice and use L. Ron Hubbard's writings outside of Scientology's umbrella organization. Freezoners believe that true Scientology has been corrupted by the Religious Technology Center, which took over the management of Scientology's affairs after Hubbard's death. Freezoners therefore provide standard Scientology at little to no cost. Anonymous believes that Scientologists have labeled the Freezoners “Suppressive Persons” because the Freezone's existence takes money out of official Church coffers. So it is not Scientology itself that Anonymous takes issue with, but rather the corrupt and deceptive practices of CoS management (outlined below).

Q: Isn't Scientology "just another religion"?

A: Many have commented that the beliefs of Scientology are no stranger or harder to believe than those of any other religion in existence today. Once again, Anonymous would like to stress that it takes no issue with the core beliefs of Scientology or Scientologists. However, if one looks at court records, reads testimonials and researches Scientology history, it becomes clear that Scientology has used its various monetary and legal resources to gain the privileges of a religion, while behaving - for all intensive purposes - like a corporation. For example, in the 2001-2002 case of Sklar vs. Commissioner, questions were raised as to why the IRS does not allows Jews to consider their children's religious education tax-deductible, while permitting such deductions for Scientologists under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, Scientology management rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars per year, while its parish lives in squalor and degradation for criminal wages, working 10-17 hours days. Its use of forced child labor, written about in hundreds of testimonials and affidavits, has never been examined by a court of law. Are these the actions of a religion?

Q: What plans does Anonymous have for the future?

In the immediate future, Anonymous plans to start its “Anonymous Lobby Against Scientology,” or ALAS, campaign. We will be organizing petition drives and encouraging congressional hearings on he subject of Scientology's tax-exempt status.

Anonymous is planning monthly demonstrations worldwide for at least the next several months. On March 15th, we will be holding a demonstration for L Ron Hubbard's birthday. Anonymous members will bring delicious cakes, and are hoping to be joined by Scientology members at our parties. We have put out a request for statements by each church giving their preferred cake and frosting flavors. In April, we intend to focus on broken families. Scientology's Disconnection policy, in which family members who have openly left the Church are not permitted to communicate with those left behind, has created many broken families.

Take the recent example of Jenna Miscavige Hill, the niece of Church leader David Miscavige. She tells a heartbreaking story about being separated from her own family members. Google Jenna Miscavige, and you will see a number of articles relating to her separation. Our plan is to invite individuals with similar stories to speak at rallies around the world in an effort to reconnect families separated by Scientology. We have further plans, but we will not be discussing those until they are closer to fruition.