Freedom Magazine – Bias and Credibility

---

LEAST BIASED

History

Freedom Magazine was founded in 1968 by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. It describes itself as “Investigative Journalism in the Public Interest” and covers human rights, racism, discrimination, freedom of speech, and media accountability. Its About page also states directly: “Freedom is the voice of the Church of Scientology,” with every page copyrighted by the Church of Scientology International. The publication operates in 20 countries and is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

Freedom Magazine is wholly owned by the Church of Scientology International, which it openly acknowledges. The site links to 20+ Scientology-affiliated entities including Narconon, CCHR, and David Miscavige’s personal website. As an institutionally owned publication, it does not operate with independent editorial oversight. The Church of Scientology’s general revenue sources are known to include member donations, course fees, book sales, and real estate, but which of those funds Freedom Magazine specifically isn’t publicly documented.

Analysis / Bias

Freedom Magazine’s stated mission explicitly rejects political alignment: “Freedom addresses issues, not politics.” Reviewing its actual content reveals a mixed picture.

In “Neo-Nazi Pleads Guilty in Plot to Poison Minority Children on New Year’s Eve“ the article reports on the guilty plea of Michail Chkhikvishvili, sourcing the DOJ press release, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. It links to the ADL for context on accelerationism. The closing line — “As if” — is an editorial opinion presented within a news article, indicating the piece is not strictly objective reporting. The subject matter, protecting minority children from hate violence, leans toward causes more associated with the political left.

In “Wisconsin Bill Targets ‘Delete Button’ Loophole That Lets Lawmakers Erase Public Records“ the article cites Wisconsin Statute § 16.61(2)(b)1, quotes named sources from the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and a state senator’s office, and links to Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and Wisconsin Watch. Government transparency and open records are cross-partisan issues supported across the political spectrum.

Story selection and sourcing practices vary by section. General news coverage references credible, named sources. However, the special reports section functions primarily as a defense of Church of Scientology interests against critical journalists rather than independent watchdog reporting.

Finally, the Church of Scientology is strongly and publicly opposed to psychiatry and psychology, viewing them as abusive, corrupt, and pseudo-scientific. Instead, they promote alternative spiritual healing, often campaigning against psychiatric drugs. On their “Mental Health” page, they frequently report negatively on psychiatric care, openly advocating against it. In general, the Church of Scientology’s views on this topic are at odds with the scientific consensus.

Failed Fact Checks

• None in the last 5 years.

Overall, we rate Freedom Magazine Least Biased based on its news coverage of human rights, government transparency, hate crimes, and drug abuse, topics that cross the political spectrum without partisan framing. However, we rate them as Mixed for factual reporting due to rejecting the scientific consensus on some issues and a moderate lack of transparency regarding funding. (M. Huitsing 03/29/2026)

Source: https://www.freedommag.org/

Last Updated on March 29, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check

Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources