Better Believe It: Steve Cannane on Scientology in Australia

Secretive, star-studded and litigious – the Church of Scientology holds a risky, irresistible allure for a certain kind of investigative journalist.
There’s been some excellent reporting on Scientology in recent years, including documentaries from Alex Gibney (Going Clear) and Louis Theroux (My Scientology Story). Now, Walkley Award-winning journalist Steve Cannane digs deeper into the local activities of the religion with his new book, Fair Game.
Scientology and Australia have had a strange, troublesome history. In 1963, the world’s first official government inquiry into Scientology was held here, and the state of Victoria subsequently (and briefly) became the first place in the world where the religion was banned.
At the Wheeler Centre, Cannane’s focus will be the church’s more recent history in Australia. He’ll discuss the writing and research of Fair Game and his fascinating findings on the church’s recruitment of James Packer, its dispute with Julian Assange and its role in exposing abuses in Australian psychiatric facilities. He’ll also address some broader questions about Scientology. Is the myth of Xenu any wackier than that of the virgin birth? How much does prejudice play into media discussions of the religion? And why are non-believers so fascinated by Scientology?
Featuring
Featuring

Sophie Black is head of special projects at the Wheeler Centre where she has worked on projects such as the writers scheme The Next Chapter, the podcast mentoring scheme Signal Boost, the multi-award-winning podcast, The Messenger, and the ABC RN program, Talkfest. Previously she was editor-in-chief... Read more

Steve Cannane is a senior reporter and occasional presenter for Lateline. He also shares hosting duties of The Drum. Steve has worked as a reporter, producer and presenter for ABC TV and radio. He was the founding presenter of Triple J’s current affairs program Hack. In 2006 h... Read more
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