The Downfall of Rajneeshpuram in the Print Media: A Cross-National Study.

After a short history of growth, controversy, and intense friction with its environment, the Bhagwan Rajneesh commune near Antelope, Oregon experienced a series of events leading to the defection of part of its leadership, to the forced departure of the Bhagwan from the United States, and to the commune's collapse. This paper presents the results of a cross-national study of how the major print media in the United States, in West Germany, and in the Netherlands framed the events occurring in Rajneeshpuram. Similarities and discrepancies in the reporting styles of these three nations are discussed against a background of highly divergent societal responses to deviant new religious movements in each nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]