Shincheonji Church Challenges French Media's Reporting Practices

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus has publicly denounced a recent French media report, asserting that the article published by Le Parisien contains significant misrepresentations and fails to provide balanced coverage of their religious organization.

According to church representatives, the April 7 article, headlined 'They Treated Us Like Animals,' was deliberately sensationalized and presented a highly skewed perspective. The church claims that while they provided a comprehensive written response spanning several thousand characters to the journalist's 12 preliminary questions, only two sentences were ultimately included in the published piece.

The church specifically challenged the article's portrayal of an alleged former member's experience, pointing out that a photograph used to suggest punitive treatment was actually a casual, lighthearted image taken before the individual's involvement with the organization. The person photographed, who remains an active church member, was reportedly shocked by the misleading context.

Church representatives emphasized the potential broader implications of such biased reporting, arguing that sensationalized media coverage can lead to stigmatization and prejudice against religious communities. They called for media outlets to adopt more ethical reporting practices that prioritize balanced representation and respect for diverse perspectives.

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between religious organizations and media institutions, underscoring the challenges of fair and accurate reporting when covering sensitive topics related to religious beliefs and practices.