Media Kit

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September 22nd, 2008

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

Scientology cult trying to infiltrate Toronto schools.

Toronto, Ontario. September 22, 2008 - An independent investigation reveals that the Church of Scientology is infiltrating Toronto area schools. A report by CBC News states that the Bambolino Montessori Academy, a private school in North York, informed parents that they were introducing Applied Scholastics’ Study Tech, a teaching method based on the writings of L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard was a science fiction writer and founded the Church of Scientology. Parents were upset about this “bait and switch” in teaching methods at the supposed Montessori school.

Critics link Study Tech to indoctrination into the Scientology cult, which uses this teaching method to suppress freedom of thought in its members.

The CBC interviewed Liz (Elizabeth) Zahari, the director of the Bambolino Montessori Academy, but their report failed to mention that she was also the Executive Director of Applied Scholastics Canada. Further investigation reveals that she was the former president of the board of the Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs, where she also introduced the use of Applied Scholastics’ Study Tech. According to Boys & Girls Clubs’ website, Applied Scholastics is offered as a program at two of their clubs in Toronto, operating at St. Mary and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary Schools.

Applied Scholastics and Study Tech are trademarks owned by Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE). ABLE in turn is a Church of Scientology subsidiary. Schools and organizations using Study Tech must pay 4% of total revenues as a licensing fee to Applied Scholastics. Parents' expenditures for their children's education could be siphoned off to the Church of Scientology, without their knowledge or consent.

There have been no objective, independent studies to evaluate the effectiveness of Study Tech as an educational method. L. Ron Hubbard, who created it, had no academic credentials. Dr. David Touretzky, research professor at Carnegie Mellon University, sums up Study Tech thusly:

“The real danger of Study Tech is that it was designed for indoctrination, not education. While it may be good at producing obedient Scientologists, it is completely at odds with promoting the ability to think independently. It quite deliberately aims to reduce a student's ability to think critically. Students are taught to distrust their own intelligence and background knowledge, passively and uncritically accepting whatever they are being told. This can only deprive students of a skill vital in an age saturated with conflicting messages, where critical thinking is essential to making sense of the world. Study Tech's doctrinaire and authoritarian approach to teaching is hostile to, and deserves no place in, secular educational institutions.”

TIME Magazine has called the Church of Scientology a “thriving cult of greed and power” and stated, “Scientology poses as a religion but really is a ruthless global scam.” The Scientology organization and seven of its prominent members are currently facing fraud charges in France. The Church of Scientology in Canada is a criminally-convicted organization and was denied its application for charitable organization status by the Canada Revenue Agency. (The Church of Scientology Toronto was convicted of two counts of breach of public trust in 1992 for infiltrating the OPP and the Ontario Office of the Attorney General to steal documents. They were also convicted of libel in a related case in Toronto in 1995.) Former members also accuse the Church of Scientology of committing human rights abuses. Despite all this, Scientology’s Canadian headquarters building in downtown Toronto enjoys a 50% property tax reduction, as confirmed by Ontario’s Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.

In January 2008, a leaderless internet-based group known collectively as “Anonymous” formed to protest against the Church of Scientology. “Anonymous” is comprised of a united group of concerned citizens, professionals, students and former Scientologists. This group has been profiled in articles by Newsweek, ABC News, and The Times London. To date, “Anonymous” has held eight worldwide demonstrations, in dozens of cities, in front of their local Scientology centres. This summer, “Anonymous” activists in Toronto mounted over thirty days of peaceful information pickets in front of the Scientology Organization despite harassment by members of Scientology.


###

References:

  • http://www.believeinkids.ca/ Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs. (References to "Applied Scholastics" have since been removed from their website, but you can still see it in a Google cache of the pages in question here and here)


Reply from Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs

We received this reply from Ian Edward, Executive Director of Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs. This is being posted here in it's entirety, in the interest of free speech. To see the discussion about this reply, see the thread on our forum.


September 29, 2008
Dear {alias}:
Re Letter of September 22
It was with great confusion and regret that we read your correspondence of September 22, 2008. It is full of inaccuracies that portray the Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs in a light that is inconsistent with our Vision and Mission. Given the secretive way your group operates we would expect that you would exhibit better judgement with information you place in the public realm. We would hope that you always ensure beyond doubt that what you distribute is in fact true.
Not being familiar with your group or the teachings of Scientology we cannot comment on the validity of your opposition, but can emphatically assure you that we have no ties to Scientology or affiliated programs. We in no way support the aims of your group, nor do we implicitly or explicitly support Scientology or any affiliated program.
The Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs is a grass roots community based organization that works with children, youth and their families in downtown Toronto. We offer our social, recreational and educational programs with a child first approach that ensures the quality of our services through the Parks and Recreation Ontario High Five Quality Assurance process. We are members of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, Boys and Girls Clubs of Ontario, are a United Way Member Agency and receive funding from a multitude of sources including all three levels of Government. In our 90 year history we have always ensured that our services demonstrate an understanding of the diverse cultures we serve and that our programs have no religious content or overtones to them.
One of the many programs we offer is our home work and literacy program which assists members with their educational development. TKBGC does not subscribe to or pay for any of the Study Tech curriculum you refer to, nor do we train our staff or volunteers in its processes or teachings. Our program is solely based on providing quality literacy and homework assistance.
Anonymous Toronto has, by way of this communication, put into question our organization’s 90 year old reputation as a leading provider of children and youth services based solely on your inaccurate correlation between our services and those of Applied Scholastics. Whether Anonymous Toronto’s own interpretation of the relationship between Applied Scholastics and the Church of Scientology is correct or not, it does not provide your organization with the right to correlate the services of the Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs with either. We therefore expect that you remove from your website and any other sources any and all references to the Club.
We hope that you can see that you have made a mistake in your approach to this issue and will quickly take the necessary steps to rectify the issues before you.
We would be pleased to discuss this with you further if you feel there is a need.


Sincerely,
Ian Edward

Previous media releases

September 13th, 2008

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

Church of Scientology's Abuses Protested by Anonymous Activists Worldwide.

Toronto, Ontario – September 14, 2008 – Forty masked protesters gathered outside of the Church of Scientology’s Canadian headquarters in downtown Toronto on September 13, to demonstrate against the organization’s abuses. This was part of a coordinated protest in a dozen cities around the world.

TIME Magazine has called the Church of Scientology a “thriving cult of greed and power” and stated, “Scientology poses as a religion but really is a ruthless global scam.” The Scientology organization and seven of its prominent members are currently facing fraud charges in France. The Church of Scientology in Canada is a criminally-convicted organization and was denied its application for charitable organization status by the Canada Revenue Agency. Scientology’s Canadian headquarters building in Toronto enjoys a 50% property tax reduction, as confirmed by Ontario’s Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.

This protest marks the eighth peaceful worldwide demonstration against the Scientology Organization this year. Previous protests drew over 9,000 people in over 100 cities around the world in front of local Scientology centres. The protests are organized by a leaderless internet-based group known collectively as 'Anonymous', comprised of a united group of concerned citizens, professionals, students and former Scientologists. The group vows to continue to hold monthly demonstrations until the Scientology organization is dismantled. ‘Anonymous’ has been profiled in articles by Newsweek, ABC News, The Times London, and in a feature article in the August 2008 issue of Maxim magazine. This summer, ‘Anonymous’ activists in Toronto mounted over thirty days of peaceful information pickets in front of the Scientology Organization despite harassment and assaults by members of Scientology.

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Link to photo of protest: http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk43/ToronAnon135/Sept%2013%20Protest/Sept13172.jpg

Article in TIME magazine: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,972865,00.html?imw=Y

For more information about 'Anonymous' and our global protests, visit: http://www.whyweprotest.net/ and http://www.enturbulation.org

For information about Toronto Anonymous, visit: http://www.anonymoustoronto.org/

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

Church of Scientology's Abuses Protested by Anonymous Activists Worldwide.

On September 13, between 11 AM and 4 PM, Anonymous protesters will demonstrate by the Canadian Scientology headquarters at 696 Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. This establishment solicits Torontonians to "Free Stress Tests" in an effort to sell a copy of the controversial self-help book "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health". Scientology uses these to recruit new customers. Their prominent Yonge Street location maintains a 50% property tax reduction, which ‘Anonymous’ activists demand should be repealed as the organization’s major activities are to sell their books and expensive services for considerable profit.

TIME Magazine has called the Church of Scientology a “thriving cult of greed and power” and stated, “Scientology poses as a religion but really is a ruthless global scam.” The Scientology organization and seven of its prominent members are currently facing fraud charges in France. The Church of Scientology in Canada is a criminally-convicted organization and was denied its application for charitable organization status by the Canada Revenue Agency. Scientology’s Canadian headquarters building in Toronto enjoys a 50% property tax reduction, as confirmed by Ontario’s Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.

This protest is the eighth peaceful worldwide demonstration against the Scientology Organization this year. Previous protests drew over 9,000 people in over 100 cities around the world in front of local Scientology centres. The protests are organized by a leaderless internet-based group known collectively as 'Anonymous', comprised of a united group of concerned citizens, professionals, students and former Scientologists. ‘Anonymous’ has been profiled in articles by Newsweek, ABC News, The Times London, and in a feature article in the August 2008 issue of Maxim magazine. This summer, ‘Anonymous’ activists in Toronto mounted over thirty days of peaceful information pickets in front of the Scientology Organization despite harassment and assaults by members of Scientology.

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Please leave suggestions or corrections on the discussion page. Also, list the media you have contacted there, to prevent duplication.


June 27th, 2008

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

United Nations Association n Canada Has Ties With Scientology Front Group


Toronto, Ontario - June 27, 2008 - The Scientology front group, “Drug-Free Marshals” celebrated the United Nations’ International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Markham, Ontario on June 26, 2008. There is a link to the event and poster by Drug-Free Marshals on their Toronto website, http://to.unac.org/.

Drug-Free Marshals is a group wholly controlled by the Church of Scientology which is a criminally-convicted organization in Canada.[1] The Church of Scientology Toronto was convicted of two counts of breach of public trust in 1992 for infiltrating the OPP and the Ontario Office of the Attorney General to steal documents. They were also convicted of libel in a related case in Toronto in 1995.[2]

The Church of Scientology has a record of human rights abuses against its own members. For example, the Church of Scientology maintains a 'disconnection policy', under which individuals within the Church are forbidden contact with those whom the Church deems to be a threat to its security. This policy is used by the Church of Scientology to separate families, creating a rift between those outside the Church and those trapped within it.[3] Another example is the Church’s Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF) which functions like a system of slave labour camps set up by the Sea Org (Scientology’s elite staff), intended to rehabilitate Sea Org staff members who have not lived up to the Church’s expectations or who have violated certain policies. Many ex-Sea Org members have reported grueling and torturous treatment.

The Church of Scientology also maintains a front group called the “Citizens Commission on Human Rights” (CCHR). The main goal of the CCHR is to attack and destroy the practice of Psychiatry and Psychology which the Church of Scientology considers to be its main competition and threat. Part of the CCHR’s strategy is to attack the use of drugs, including legitimately prescribed medications by physicians. This Scientology dogma is disguised in one of the pamphlets distributed by Drug-Free Marshals about the prescription drug Ritalin, which it labels “Kiddie Cocaine”.[5] Ritalin (or Methyphenidate) is a drug used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Neither the Church of Scientology nor Drug-Free Marshals are registered charitable organizations in Canada.[6]

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[1] R. v. Church of Scientology Toronto. A summary of the case can be found on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._v._Church_of_Scientology_of_Toronto). For the text of the appeal case on CanLII, see http://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/1996/1996canlii1650/1996canlii1650.html

[2] Hill v. Church of Scientology Toronto. A summary of the case can be found on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_v._Church_of_Scientology_of_Toronto). For the full text of the case on CanLII, see http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1995/1995canlii59/1995canlii59.html

[3] Disconnection Policy, Sea Org, RPF. The April 24, 2008 episode of ABC News Nightline featured an interview with ex-Scientologist Jenna Miscavige Hill who also happens to be the niece of the current leader of the Church of Scientology. She describes her experience in the Sea Org. http://www.abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=4702271&page=1

[4] CCHR. Radio-Canada (CBC) had a report on the activities of the CCHR/CCDH in Quebec on April 12, 2008. http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/Quebec/2008/04/10/013-scientologie_quebec.shtml An English-subtitled version is available on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04r_0V-m4Vs

[5] http://drugfreemarshals.scientology-tor.ca/ and http://www.drugfreeworld.org/

[6] http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/charities/ A quick search on the Canada Revenue Agency website confirms that these organizations are NOT registered charities.

For more information about the global protests against the Church of Scientology, visit: www.whyweprotest.net and www.anonymoustoronto.org


June 14th, 2008

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

Worldwide Protest Against Scientology Organization’s Abuse of Its Own Members.

Toronto, Ontario - June 4, 2008 – On June 14, 2008, between 11 AM and 3 PM, several hundred Anonymous protesters will demonstrate in front of the Church of Scientology Canada's headquarters at 696 Yonge Street. TIME Magazine has called the Church of Scientology a “thriving cult of greed and power” and said, “Scientology poses as a religion but really is a ruthless global scam.”

The demonstration is part of an international protest against the Scientology Organization’s abuse of its members, particularly those in their Sea Org, Scientology's elite fanatical wing. Former Sea Org members have reported appalling working conditions, low pay, and gruelling punishment for perceived failures. Female members have been coerced into having abortions because marriage and family are considered to be distractions. Members are sometimes forbidden to maintain contact with friends and family. The Sea Org is responsible for the central management of the organization and they also staff the Office of Special Affairs (OSA), Scientology's own "intelligence agency". The Sea Org also maintains a single cruise ship, the MV Freewinds, where the highest levels of Scientology teachings are delivered. This ship is currently in dry dock in Curaçao due to the extensive presence of carcinogenic blue asbestos on board, which the Scientology Organization has known about for years but neglected to tell its members.

This protest is the fifth peaceful worldwide demonstration against the Scientology Organization this year. Previous protests drew over 9,000 people in over 100 cities around the world to demonstrate in front of their local Scientology centres, while Toronto’s demonstration drew an estimated 350 activists. The protests are organized by a leaderless internet-based group known collectively as 'Anonymous'. It is comprised of a united group of concerned citizens, professionals, students and former Scientologists. In the past month, ‘Anonymous’ activists in Toronto have mounted over a dozen information pickets in front of the Scientology Organization despite harassment and assaults by members of Scientology. While the ‘Anonymous’ cause is a serious one, these protests have had a lighter, fun atmosphere with music, dancing, food and cake.

Due to the Scientology Organization's infamous policy of silencing its critics with frivolous lawsuits, stalking, and harrasment, those attending will again wear masks, scarves or other facial obstructions to remain “anonymous” to protect their identity.

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May 10th, 2008

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

Worldwide Protest Against Church of Scientology’s Suppression of Free Speech

TORONTO, ONTARIO - May 2, 2008 – On May 10th thousands of peaceful protesters around the world will gather to protest the abusive policies of the Church of Scientology. Several hundred protesters will demonstrate in front of the Church's Canadian headquarters at 696 Yonge Street in Toronto, on May 10 from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

This protest will focus specifically on Scientology's “Fair Game Policy”, which states that persons or agencies which Scientology considers to be enemies may be: "deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist… May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed." Although Scientologists claim that this policy was cancelled in 1968, the text of the cancellation is clear that only the term "Fair Game" was cancelled. Scientology continues to harass, stalk, and sue its critics as well as former church members who have left the cult. Famous victims include journalists Paulette Cooper and John Sweeney of the BBC.

This is the fourth protest in as many months being organized by internet-based, grassroots activists known collectively as "Anonymous". This international movement includes ex-Scientologists, long-time cult researchers, and concerned citizens from all walks of life. Previous protests drew 9,000 people in over 100 cities to demonstrate in front of their local Scientology centres, while Toronto’s demonstration, the largest in Canada, drew an estimated 350 activists in total.

Due to the Church of Scientology's policy of defaming and harassing its critics, those attending are being urged to remain anonymous and are encouraged to wear masks, scarves or other facial obstructions to protect their identity.
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For more information regarding local protests visit www.enturbulation.org or contact 'Anonymous' at (Paraphren’s email address here).


April 12, 2008

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

Church of Scientology's Family-Destroying Abuses Protested Worldwide.

TORONTO, ONTARIO. April 6, 2008 - Thousands will attend an international protest against the Church of Scientology's abuse of its members, in particular its “Disconnection Policy" which former members and critics claim destroys families by persuading members to sever communications with family. Several hundred protesters will demonstration in front of the Church's Canadian headquarters at 696 Yonge Street in Toronto on April 12, 2008 from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Due to the Church of Scientology's infamous policy of defaming and harassing its critics, those attending are being urged to remain anonymous and are encouraged to wear masks, scarves and other facial obstructions to protect their identity.

This protest follows the two previous peaceful worldwide Church of Scientology protests on February 10 and March 15. The last protest drew 9,000 people in over 100 cities to demonstrate in front of their local Scientology centres, while Toronto’s demonstration drew an estimated 350 activists in total.

The protests are organised by an internet-based group known collectively as 'Anonymous' and are comprised of a united group of concerned citizens, professionals, students and former Scientologists.

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For more information regarding local protests visit www.enturbulation.org or contact 'Anonymous' at (email address here).


March 15, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Church of Scientology's Abuses Protested by Anonymous Activists Worldwide.

TORONTO, ONTARIO. March 12, 2008 - Thousands of people worldwide will stage a protest on March 15 against the Church of Scientology's routine abuse of its members and critics. Local members of the activist group calling itself "Anonymous," will picket at Toronto's Church of Scientology centre beginning at 11:00 A.M., located at 696 Yonge Street.

Protesters have been encouraged to wear, masks, scarves and other facial obstructions to protect their identity due to Scientology’s policy of defaming and harassing its critics. This "Fair Game" policy, named in a 1967 letter sent by church founder L. Ron Hubbard, has led to the stalking and harassment of critics like Emmy award-winning American filmmaker Mark Bunker and BBC British journalist John Sweeney.

The May 6, 1991 cover story of TIME Magazine called the Church of Scientology a “thriving cult of greed and power” and said, “Scientology poses as a religion but really is a ruthless global scam.” After it ran, TIME Magazine and its reporters were harassed, defamed and litigated against for years by the Church of Scientology.

This protest follows the group's first on February 10 which drew more than 7,500 people in over 100 cities across the globe to demonstrate peacefully in front of their local Scientology centers. It was organized in less than a month and is the largest demonstration against the Church of Scientology to date.

Anonymous is an internet-based group of concerned citizens, professionals, students, and ex-scientologists from around the world looking to expose the criminal acts of the Church of Scientology through awareness programs and peaceful protest. For additional information about the Church of Scientology and Anonymous’ global protests, visit http://www.enturbulation.org.


February 10, 2008

February 10th, 2008 Scientology Media Kit & Fact Sheet

Concerned Citizens Group To Protest Church Of Scientology Canada Headquarters

For immediate release; originally published by paraphren

A large group of concerned citizens are set to protest February 10th at 11AM outside the Canadian headquarters of the Church of Scientology corporation on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto.

The group is planning a peaceful demonstration made up of approximately 100 people with the intention of bringing attention to the crimes and unethical operation of this international corporation.

The Church of Scientology has been garnering substantial media attention recently after an internal video featuring Tom Cruise was ‘leaked’ on Youtube and quickly became one of its most popular videos, but was promptly removed by the Church of Scientology for ‘copyright infringement’. A group of concerned internet users felt compelled to speak out against Scientology and subsequently declared proverbial war on the corporation and announced its plans to publicise the unethical and even criminal operations of the company and protest their locations worldwide.

A grassroots effort has been building for this protest, with many citizens handing out leaflets and information regarding the protest in shopping malls, schools and street corners. Knowledge of the protest has also been spreading fiercely by way of word of mouth and multiple Facebook groups. The end goal of this protest is to spread awareness of this corporation, which has been deemed a cult by many governments and news agencies. It conducts itself in a manner that is detrimental to public safety and security and should be barred from operating within Canada. It has been convicted of many serious crimes worldwide, including here in Canada, where it was found to have infiltrated government agencies for the purpose of breaching trust and stealing government documents.

The crimes of this corporation go right to the top: the wife of Scientology’s founder and 10 other Scientology executives were found guilty of burglary, forgery, infiltration of government office and obstruction of justice in 1980. Since then, Scientology has been charged and tried for numerous other crimes including: repeated counts of fraud, inflicting emotional distress, interfering with a witness, keeping files on various Greek politicians and journalists and involuntary homicide. The list of crimes against Scientology are as severe as they are long and the group of protestors feels the public has not effectively been made aware of the facts. Also concerning is the high cost of becoming a member of scientology and the reported tactics used against a member who attempts to denounce or even leave Scientology; these tactics have been reported to include stalking, harassment, threats of physical violence and threatening to release personal data obtained during private ‘auditing’ sessions.

The group encourages everybody to attend. Even if you are not fully aware of the actions of the Church of Scientology and what the company stands for, you are encouraged to join the protestors who will be handing out leaflets of factual and proven information concerning the cult that is Scientology.


Media Kit Fast Facts

(Initial note to the media, circa January 2008.)
To Whom It May Concern:

In the past week it has come to the attention of many individuals that the Church of Scientology is only in favour of free speech whenever it suits them. They tried to censor the Tom Cruise video but this was not accepted by many websites who, in spite of the "copyright infringement" claimed by the Church of Scientology, posted the video.

The group of individuals is collectively known as Anonymous. They are not an Internet hacker group. Anonymous is many individuals all working toward the common goal of bringing the crimes of Scientology to the public eye.

Do not mis-understand. The group of individuals collectively known as Anonymous is not against Scientology as a religious belief. We are against the corporate entity known as the Church of Scientology and the various affiliate organizations (RTC, W.I.S.E., etc) that have behaved illegally and badly towards the democratic governments of the world and towards their members. This is about Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Information.

The following are facts about Scientology. To find out about their religious beliefs, it is best to ask the Church of Scientology.

Messages from Anonymous:

  • http: //partyvan.info/index.php/Project_Chanology/Messages_from_Anonymous - this page is currently hijacked


January 10, 2008 press release: [1]

  • For an original version, featuring working links, published on PRLog, [2]
  • Press release in Spanish [3]
  • Press release in Dutch [4]


Xenu.net has prepared a sheet with information for journalists covering Scientology [5]


The initial statement of war, as released by Anonymous, was released on Youtube. It features a synthesized voice reading a declaration of war against the Church of Scientology. Within days, the video has had over 2,000,000 views. Watch the video here.

Questions?

For further information, or to find someone to interview, please visit the Press Room on Enturbulation.org

Media contact list (for Anons)

Please read the Media training page before contacting or talking to any media. See our media contact page for a list.

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