The Church of Scientology and journalists do not get along very well, it’s fair to say. Hard-hitting investigative reports with titles like “Inside Scientology” have become fast-track ways for journos to prove themselves; just a few weeks ago, a spokesman for Scientology stormed off the set of Nightline when Martin Bashir asked him about Emperor Xenu.

But in a cash-starved journalistic environment, Scientology may have the upper hand; a Church of Scientology magazine is hiring investigative reporters.True/Slant’s Matt Stroud noticed this job posting on JournalismJobs from Freedom Magazine, which is published by the Church of Scientology:

Company: Freedom Magazine

Position: INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER NEEDED

Location: Clearwater, Florida

Job Status: Freelance

Salary: Negotiable

Description: Freedom Magazine is looking for experienced investigative reporters for short and long-range assignments. Freedom, published by the Church of Scientology since 1968, covers human rights and social betterment issues and does investigative reporting in the public interest. Projects for this particular assignment are in the Tampa Bay, Florida area for the most part, but investigation can be conducted by phone and through Internet research.

It’s also on Indeed (via JournalismJobs) and Tampa Bay Jobs.

Past investigations by the magazine have included anti-psychiatry exposés and a 9,000 word rebuttal of the St. Petersburg Times‘ investigations of the Church of Scientology, about 7,000 of which criticize them for not interviewing the leader of Scientology.

(True/Slant via Romenesko)