Anthony "Tony" Ortega is an American journalist and editor who is best known for his daily blog about the
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a scientology as a business, bu ...
called ''The Underground Bunker''.
He was executive editor of ''
The Raw Story
''Raw Story'' (also stylized as ''RawStory'') is an American Progressivism in the United States, progressive news website. It was founded in 2004 by John K. Byrne and is owned by Byrne and Michael Rogers (publisher), Michael Rogers.
History
...
'' from 2013 until 2015.
Previously, he had been a journalist at the ''
New Times LA
''New Times LA'' is a now-defunct alternative weekly newspaper that was published in Los Angeles, California by New Times Media from 1996 to 2002.
History
It was formed by the purchase and merger of the '' Los Angeles View''/'' Los Angeles Villag ...
'',
the editor-in-chief of the ''
Broward-Palm Beach New Times
''New Times Broward-Palm Beach'' is a news website that until 2016 also published a weekly print newspaper; it is part of the Voice Media Group chain. The original paper split off from the '' Miami New Times'' in 1997, under the auspices of t ...
'' from 2005 to 2007 and the
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
of ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' from 2007 to 2012. In 2015 he was executive editor of the YouTube channel TheLipTV. He is author of the non-fiction book ''The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper'', about journalist
Paulette Cooper
Paulette Cooper (born July 26, 1942) is an American author and journalist whose writing against the Church of Scientology resulted in harassment from Scientologists. An early critic of the church, she published ''The Scandal of Scientology'' in ...
and the
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a scientology as a business, bu ...
's attempts to silence her after her own book was published.
Background and education
Tony Ortega was raised in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
. He received the John Jay Scholarship to attend
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, where he completed three semesters before continuing his studies at
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is a public university in Fullerton, California. With a total enrollment of more than 41,000, it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) ...
where he obtained his
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
and
M.A.
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in English.
Ortega pursued more graduate work at
UC Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located on Monterey Bay, on the edge of ...
prior to landing his first
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...
job as a
freelancer
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
at the ''
Phoenix New Times
''Phoenix New Times'' is a free digital and print media company based in Phoenix, Arizona. ''New Times'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue ...
'' in 1995.
In 1996, Ortega reported on alleged corruption in the office of
Maricopa County Sheriff
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is the law enforcement agency that serves Maricopa County, Arizona, and is the largest Sheriffs in the United States, sheriff's office in Arizona. The MCSO provides patrol services and criminal investi ...
Joe Arpaio
Joseph Michael Arpaio (; born June 14, 1932) is an American former law enforcement officer and politician. He served as the 36th Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona for 24 years, from 1993 to 2017, losing reelection to Democrat Paul Penzone i ...
, writing a series of stories concerning "misuse of state funds, poor morale inside the department, the high cost of the sheriff's posses and evidence of abuse of jail inmates," for which he was nominated for the Arizona Press Club's Virg Hill Award in 1997.
As a graduate student at the
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
, Ortega researched the
California Agricultural Strike 1933 The California agricultural strikes of 1933 were a series of strikes by mostly Mexican and Filipino agricultural workers throughout the San Joaquin Valley. More than 47,500 workers were involved in the wave of approximately 30 strikes from 1931-194 ...
under the tutelage of
Louis Owens
Louis Dean Owens (Lompoc July 18, 1948 - Albuquerque, July 25, 2002) was a novelist and scholar who claimed Choctaw, Cherokee, and Irish-American descent. He is known for a series of Native-themed mystery novels and for his contributions to the ...
. He later wrote an article about his research in the ''Village Voice''. In her review of Ortega's article, Carolyn Kellogg wrote, "When Ortega gets his grandfather and great half-uncle to tell him stories of the strike, it's exactly the first-person narrative he'd been hoping for. But I found, reading the stories in his article, that they were simply personal anecdotes — interesting anecdotes, sure, but simple anecdotes. The men camped under eucalyptus trees. They played clarinet and violin for the strikers."
Tony's father, also named Tony Ortega (1938-2019), was a musician, guitarist, and songwriter, starting in the late 1950s and throughout his life. He also had a career in the steel industry, joining at the entry level and rising through the ranks to become a general manager.
Career
Alternative weeklies and other media
Ortega spent nearly seventeen years working for various
alternative weekly
An alternative newspaper is a type of newspaper that eschews comprehensive coverage of general news in favor of stylized reporting, opinionated reviews and columns, investigations into edgy topics and magazine-style feature stories highlighting l ...
newspapers in the
Voice Media Group
Voice Media Group (VMG) is an American privately held media company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. VMG owns several newspaper publications across the country. These offerings extend across print, mobile and digital marketing.
VMG's current pr ...
(VMG). He has worked at the ''
Phoenix New Times
''Phoenix New Times'' is a free digital and print media company based in Phoenix, Arizona. ''New Times'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue ...
'', the ''
New Times LA
''New Times LA'' is a now-defunct alternative weekly newspaper that was published in Los Angeles, California by New Times Media from 1996 to 2002.
History
It was formed by the purchase and merger of the '' Los Angeles View''/'' Los Angeles Villag ...
'' and ''
The Pitch The Pitch may refer to:
* "The Pitch" (''Seinfeld'')
* ''The Pitch'' (TV series), an AMC original series
* ''The Pitch'' (podcast), an American podcast
* ''The Pitch'' (newspaper), a newspaper in Kansas City
* A segment in ''The Gruen Transfer ...
''. His earliest positions ranged from
staff writer
In journalism, a staff writer byline indicates that the author of the article is an employee of the periodical, as opposed to being an independent freelance writer. In Britain, staff writers may work in the office instead of traveling to cover a b ...
to
assistant editor and
managing editor
A managing editor (ME) is a senior member of a publication's management team. Typically, the managing editor reports directly to the editor-in-chief and oversees all aspects of the publication.
United States
In the United States, a managing edito ...
.
In 2001 Ortega spent time with and profiled detective and conspiracy theorist
William Dear
William Dear (born November 30, 1943) is a Canadian actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for directing the films ''Harry and the Hendersons'', '' If Looks Could Kill'', '' Angels in the Outfield'', '' Wild America'', and '' Sa ...
for the ''New Times LA'' newspaper after Dear spent several years constructing a case around Jason Simpson (son of
O.J Simpson) in the
O. J. Simpson murder case
''The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson'' was a criminal trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court starting in 1994, in which O. J. Simpson, a former National Football League (NFL) player, broadcaster and actor, was ...
. Ortega was highly critical of his methods, in particular spending two weeks
impersonating a doctor in an attempt to access Jason Simpson's medical records
[ and was later criticized for manipulating the story in order to write a book for personal gain.]
He became the editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
at the ''Broward-Palm Beach New Times
''New Times Broward-Palm Beach'' is a news website that until 2016 also published a weekly print newspaper; it is part of the Voice Media Group chain. The original paper split off from the '' Miami New Times'' in 1997, under the auspices of t ...
'' in 2005 and then at ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' in 2007. He was executive editor at online news website ''The Raw Story
''Raw Story'' (also stylized as ''RawStory'') is an American Progressivism in the United States, progressive news website. It was founded in 2004 by John K. Byrne and is owned by Byrne and Michael Rogers (publisher), Michael Rogers.
History
...
'' from 2013 to 2015.[
]
Criticism of Scientology
Ortega first reported on Scientology in 1995 while working at the ''Phoenix New Times'.'' after he came across a Letter to the editor
A letter to the editor (LTE) is a Letter (message), letter sent to a publication about an issue of concern to the reader. Usually, such letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through ...
from Rick Alan Ross
Rick Alan Ross (b. 1952) is an American deprogrammer, cult specialist, and founder and executive director of the nonprofit Cult Education Institute. He frequently appears in the news and other media discussing groups some consider cults. Ross h ...
who complained that a story published in The Arizona Republic
''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
about Ross's loss of a lawsuit against him left out the fact that the plaintiff was actually hired by the Church of Scientology to sue Ross, which also caused harm to his Cult Awareness Network
The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was an anti-cult organization created by deprogrammer Ted Patrick that provided information on groups that it considered to be cults, as well as support and referrals to deprogrammers.
It was founded in the wak ...
. Ortega continued covering the subject of Scientology throughout his career under various media outlets in the Voice Media Group
Voice Media Group (VMG) is an American privately held media company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. VMG owns several newspaper publications across the country. These offerings extend across print, mobile and digital marketing.
VMG's current pr ...
. In September 2012, Ortega publicly announced his resignation from ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' in a post to the ''Voice's'' "Runnin' Scared" blog.
The executive editor of the ''Voice'' told the Media Decoder blog of ''The New York Times'' that Ortega "...did a great job for us and managed a difficult transition in a miserable economy... During that time he became the single most informed reporter on Scientology. No one is better positioned to write the book on that organization."
Ortega was featured in Alex Gibney
Philip Alexander Gibney (; born October 23, 1953) is an American documentary film director and producer. In 2010, ''Esquire'' magazine said Gibney "is becoming the most important documentarian of our time".
Gibney's works as director include '' ...
's documentary '' Going Clear'', discussing how Scientology smeared critics. On the way to the Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
both Ortega and another film participant, ex-Scientologist Marc Headley
''Blown for Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology'' is a memoir written by Marc Headley, a former Scientologist and Sea Org member, about his life and experiences in the Church of Scientology. It was self-published in the United States on ...
, were surveilled and photographed at Salt Lake City airport by presumed members of the church, with the ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' noting "The documentary showed ex-Scientologists being harassed and surveilled, a tactic that according to the film, is part of the doctrine of the church: its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, said that all of the church’s attackers were criminals whose own misdeeds should be exposed".
In 2015 Ortega was informed by the United States Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...
that his emails had been hacked by New York private investigator Eric Saldarriaga in the previous year. Saldarriaga had received payment by clients whose names remain private and used an illegal overseas hacking group to break into several private accounts including Ortega's and ex-Scientologist and former church spokesperson Mike Rinder
Michael John Rinder (; born 10 April 1955) is an Australian-American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the board of ...
. Both Ortega and Rinder filed victim impact statement
A victim impact statement is a written or oral statement made as part of the judicial legal process, which allows crime victims the opportunity to speak during the sentencing of the convicted person or at subsequent parole hearings.
Overview
One ...
s and requested the client's name(s) be made public. Goldstein in the ''New York Times'' reported "The client is said to be someone who has done investigations on behalf of the Church of Scientology, said people briefed on the case but not authorized to speak publicly." 50 victims of hacking were identified and Saldarriaga was given a 3-month prison sentence in June 2015. Saldarriaga claimed he feared retaliation from naming clients while cooperating with the FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
and was never required to name the client publicly in court.
In September 2018 Ortega started publishing short video clips of issues in Scientology that had been previously covered by his website. In the first video he linked Doug Dohring
Doug Dohring is the founder, CEO, and Executive Chairman of Age of Learning, Inc., the Educational technology, edtech company that created and runs ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy, ReadingIQ, Adventure Academy, and My Math Academy and My Read ...
, the founder and CEO of Age of Learning, Inc. (also known as ABCmouse) with large donations to the Church of Scientology.
''The Unbreakable Miss Lovely''
In May 2015, Ortega released a book about Scientology critic Paulette Cooper
Paulette Cooper (born July 26, 1942) is an American author and journalist whose writing against the Church of Scientology resulted in harassment from Scientologists. An early critic of the church, she published ''The Scandal of Scientology'' in ...
and her conflict with the organization, entitled ''The Unbreakable Miss Lovely'', which was published by Silvertail Books, an imprint of London-based literary agent and independent publisher Humfrey Hunter. The book focuses on the journalist Paulette Cooper, codenamed "Miss Lovely" by the church, who became one of the first journalists to investigate the practices of harassment and intimidation of anyone who spoke publicly against the organization with her own published book, ''The Scandal of Scientology
''The Scandal of Scientology'' is a critical exposé book about the Church of Scientology, written by Paulette Cooper and published by Tower Publications, in 1971.
In 2007, Cooper wrote about the events resulting from the publication of her stor ...
''. Ortega's research into Cooper's story uncovered many previously unpublished operations by the church against Cooper, and included testimony from FBI Special Agent Christine Hansen. In an official response to the book from the church a spokesperson declined to revisit the subject and referred to Ortega as "a parasite".[ The book was well received by critics of Scientology and has been described as among the best of the genre] as well as shocking. Although Cooper reached a financial settlement with the church in 1985, Ortega was accompanied by Cooper on some of the subsequent international book tour.
Freelance blog
After leaving the ''Voice'' in September 2012, Ortega began writing a freelance
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
blog entitled ''The Underground Bunker'' that is focused solely on Scientology. The website has been described as "devastating" to the organisation and "influential". It concentrates on monitoring activity within Scientology and is updated daily.
''The Cult Awareness Podcast''
Ortega is the co-host, along with James Underdown
James "Jim" Underdown (born October 9, 1960) has been the executive director of The Center for Inquiry (CFI) West in Los Angeles since 1999. The Center for Inquiry is a non-profit educational organization with headquarters in Amherst, New York ...
and Jerry Minor
Jerome Charles Minor Jr. (born October 4, 1969) is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his comedic roles in numerous television programs such as ''Mr. Show'', ''Saturday Night Live'', ''Trigger Happy TV'', ''Delocated'', ''Brickleber ...
, of ''The Cult Awareness Podcast'' that discusses Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other subjects.
See also
* Fair Game (Scientology)
The term Fair Game is used to describe policies and practices carried out by the Church of Scientology towards people and groups it perceives as its enemies. Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, established the policy in the 1950s, in respon ...
* Jenna Miscavige Hill
Jenna Miscavige Hill (born February 1, 1984) is an American former Scientologist. After leaving the Church of Scientology in 2005, she has become an outspoken critic of the organization. She had been a third-generation Scientologist, the grandd ...
* Mark Rathbun
Mark C. "Marty" Rathbun (born 1957) is a former senior executive of the Church of Scientology who last held the post of Inspector General of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), the organization that is responsible for the protection and enf ...
* Operation Clambake
Operation Clambake, also referred to by its domain name, xenu.net, is a website and Norway-based non-profit organization, launched in 1996, founded by Andreas Heldal-Lund, that publishes criticism of the Church of Scientology. It is owned and ma ...
* Operation Freakout
Operation Freakout, also known as Operation PC Freakout, was a Church of Scientology covert plan intended to have the U.S. author and journalist Paulette Cooper imprisoned or committed to a psychiatric hospital. The plan, undertaken in 1976 follo ...
* Scientology controversies
Since its inception in 1954, the Church of Scientology has been involved in a number of controversies, including its stance on psychiatry, Scientology's legitimacy as a religion, the Church's aggressive attitude in dealing with its perceived ene ...
* Scientology and the Internet
There are a number of disputes concerning the Church of Scientology's attempts to suppress material critical of Scientology on the Internet, utilizing various methods primarily lawsuits and legal threats, as well as front organizations. In la ...
References
External links
*
The Underground Bunker
' official blog
*
The Raw Story
'
Tony Ortega: Village Voice Runnin' Scared blog posts by year
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortega, Tony
American newspaper editors
American journalists
American bloggers
American people of Mexican descent
Critics of Scientology
Living people
California State University, Fullerton alumni
The Village Voice people
Writers from Los Angeles
21st-century American non-fiction writers
American male non-fiction writers
American male bloggers
1963 births