Jump to content

The Epoch Times: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m CiteCompletion, authors: 1, using AWB (7005)
→‎Reporting style: Noting references by other media. This was such a big case in Canada, why nothing on Wikipedia until now?
(9 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox newspaper
{{Infobox newspaper
| name = The Epoch Times
| name = The Epoch Times
| image = [[File:The Front Page of - The Epoch Times - newspaper.jpg|250px|border]]
| image = [[File:A1 eet-2010-05-03-ny-us.pdf|250px|border]]
| type = International [[newspaper]]
| type = International [[newspaper]]
| format = [[Broadsheet]]
| format = [[Broadsheet]]
Line 16: Line 16:
|
|
}}
}}
'''''The Epoch Times''''' ({{zh|s=大纪元|t=大紀元|p=Dàjìyuán|first=t}}) is a multi-language, international newspaper, originally published in [[Chinese language|Chinese]]. The paper has been in publication since May 2000. It was founded by practitioners of the [[Falun Gong]] spiritual discipline in 1999.<ref name="HRW1">[http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/china/ China's Campaign Against Falungong], Human Rights Watch</ref><ref name="HRW2">[http://hrw.org/english/docs/1999/11/09/china1959.htm China uses Rule of Law to Crackdown on Falun Gong], Human Rights Watch</ref>
'''''The Epoch Times''''' ({{zh|s=大纪元|t=大紀元|p=Dàjìyuán|first=t}}) is a multi-language, international media organisation. As a newspaper, the ''Times'' has been publishing in [[Chinese language|Chinese]] since May 2000. It was founded in 1999 by supporters of the [[Falun Gong]] spiritual discipline.<ref>Postmedia News, [ http://www.canada.com/Tory+says+China+using+gifts+influence+politicians/3341249/story.html "Tory MP says China using gifts, sex to influence our politicians"], Canada.com</ref><ref name="HRW1">[http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/china/ China's Campaign Against Falungong], Human Rights Watch</ref><ref name="HRW2">[http://hrw.org/english/docs/1999/11/09/china1959.htm China uses Rule of Law to Crackdown on Falun Gong], Human Rights Watch</ref>


The paper covers China, human rights, and issues of general interest.<ref name="sfgate">{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/18/MNGGAG8MTA1.DTL&hw=falun+gong&sn=002&sc=447 |title=Dissident media linked to Falun Gong / Chinese-language print, broadcast outlets in U.S. are making waves |work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=December 18, 2005 |accessdate=2006-12-09 | first=Vanessa | last=Hua}}</ref><ref name="Schworm_Boston_Globe_12_03_2007">{{cite news |author=Peter Schworm |url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/12/03/chinese_american_activists_decry_chinas_communism/ |title=Chinese-American activists decry China's communism |work=The Boston Globe |date=December 3, 2007}} <!-- "Tsang and other protesters said that most of the 3 million people had disavowed their affiliation with the communist party through personal statements on the website of a China-focused newspaper, The Epoch Times. The international paper, which is published in English in the United States, is sympathetic to Falun Gong and consistently critical of the Chinese government. The Chinese Communist Party, founded in 1921, has an estimated 73 million members. China has 1.3 billion people." --></ref><ref name="Congressional Research Service">{{cite web |author=Thomas Lum|url=http://www.usembassy.it/pdf/other/RL33437.pdf |publisher=Congressional Research Service |title=China and Falun Gong |date=August 11, 2006}} <!-- page CRS-8, list of Falun Gong-affiliated media --></ref> The newspaper is consistently critical of the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) and policies of the Chinese government. In 2004, the newspaper published the "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party", an in-depth critique of China's ruling regime. More than most, the newspaper covers causes and groups opposed to the CCP, including [[Falun Gong]], dissidents, activists, and supporters of the [[Tibetan government-in-exile]]. The ''Epoch Times'' Website also hosts a "CCP Renunciations" service, encouraging people to "renounce" the CCP and related organizations. The Chinese government blocks those in [[mainland China]] from accessing the ''Epoch Times'' website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=11968 |title=Reporters sans frontières - China |publisher=Rsf.org |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref>
The paper covers general interest issues, China, and human rights.<ref name="sfgate">{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/18/MNGGAG8MTA1.DTL&hw=falun+gong&sn=002&sc=447 |title=Dissident media linked to Falun Gong / Chinese-language print, broadcast outlets in U.S. are making waves |work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=December 18, 2005 |accessdate=2006-12-09 | first=Vanessa | last=Hua}}</ref><ref name="Schworm_Boston_Globe_12_03_2007">{{cite news |author=Peter Schworm |url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/12/03/chinese_american_activists_decry_chinas_communism/ |title=Chinese-American activists decry China's communism |work=The Boston Globe |date=December 3, 2007}} <!-- "Tsang and other protesters said that most of the 3 million people had disavowed their affiliation with the communist party through personal statements on the website of a China-focused newspaper, The Epoch Times. The international paper, which is published in English in the United States, is sympathetic to Falun Gong and consistently critical of the Chinese government. The Chinese Communist Party, founded in 1921, has an estimated 73 million members. China has 1.3 billion people." --></ref><ref name="Congressional Research Service">{{cite web |author=Thomas Lum|url=http://www.usembassy.it/pdf/other/RL33437.pdf |publisher=Congressional Research Service |title=China and Falun Gong |date=August 11, 2006}} <!-- page CRS-8, list of Falun Gong-affiliated media --></ref> The newspaper is often critical of the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) and policies of the Chinese government. In 2004, the newspaper published the "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party", an in-depth critique of China's ruling regime. The newspaper covers causes and groups opposed to the CCP, including [[Falun Gong]], dissidents, activists, and supporters of the [[Tibetan government-in-exile]]. The ''Epoch Times'' Website also hosts a "CCP Renunciations" service, encouraging Chinese to "renounce" the CCP and related organizations. The Chinese government blocks mainland Chinese from accessing the ''Epoch Times'' website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=11968 |title=Reporters sans frontières - China |publisher=Rsf.org |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref>


Headquartered in [[New York City]], the newspaper has local bureaux and a network of local reporters throughout the world. It is either sold or distributed free-of-charge in roughly 30 countries worldwide, and maintains editions in English, Chinese, nine other languages in print, and 17 on the web.
Headquartered in [[New York City]], the newspaper has local bureaux and a network of local reporters throughout the world. It is either sold or distributed free-of-charge in roughly 30 countries worldwide, and maintains editions in English, Chinese, nine other languages in print, and 17 on the web.


==History==
==History==
⚫
According to the newspaper itself, ''The Epoch Times'' was founded in New York in May 2000, following the arrest of a small circle of journalists in [[People's Republic of China|China]] in 2000.<ref name=About_Us/> As stated on the website, it was “in a suburban Atlanta home basement with a noble cause, a clear sense of purpose and a few home personal computers.” The ''Times'' says its founding mission was "to restore freedom of the press in and about China."<ref name=About_Us/>


⚫
On August 12, 2002, ''The Epoch Times'' launched its first daily in Washington, D.C.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} In August 2004, an [[English language]] edition of ''The Epoch Times'' was launched in [[Manhattan]], as well as Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, and several other cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ads.epochtimes.eu/pages/background-milestones.htm |title=The Epoch Times - Advertising with a corporate social responsibility |publisher=Ads.epochtimes.eu |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> It is also distributed in Chicago and San Diego.<ref name="Chicago_Reader"/> The paper has associated media services, including the television station [[New Tang Dynasty TV]], the radio station [[Sound of Hope]]. The journal is in some places printed by The Epoch Press Inc., another company owned and run by Falun Gong practitioners.<ref name=sap200903>Mata Press Service, [http://www.southasianpost.com/portal2/c1ee8c421f38354c011f43489df90017_Punjabi_Publisher_fights_for_press_freedom_in_BC.do.html "Punjabi Publisher fights for press freedom in BC"] South Asian Post, March 2009</ref>
⚫
According to the newspaper itself, ''The Epoch Times'' was founded in New York in May 2000, following the arrest of a small circle of journalists in [[People's Republic of China|China]] in 2000.<ref name=About_Us/> Professor David Ownby, an expert on Falun Gong, said that practitioners have become "somewhat paranoid" of being ill-treated by journalists during the last decade, "so they decided to publish a newspaper by themselves to publicize their beliefs..."<ref>''ibid'' Radio Canada ombudsman report, Pg10</ref>


The ''Times'' is often connected with the Falun Gong spiritual group. A 2006 report by the U.S. [[Congressional Research Service]] listed the newspaper as a Falun Gong affiliated media source,<ref name="Congressional Research Service"/> and Professor David Ownby, an expert on Falun Gong, said that after years of ill-treatment by journalists, "they decided to publish a newspaper by themselves to publicize their beliefs..."<ref>''ibid'' Radio Canada ombudsman report, Pg10</ref>
⚫
On August 12, 2002, ''The Epoch Times'' launched its first daily in Washington, D.C.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} In August 2004, an [[English language]] edition of ''The Epoch Times'' was launched in [[Manhattan]], as well as Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, and several other cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ads.epochtimes.eu/pages/background-milestones.htm |title=The Epoch Times - Advertising with a corporate social responsibility |publisher=Ads.epochtimes.eu |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> It is also distributed in Chicago and San Diego.<ref name="Chicago_Reader"/> The paper has associated media services, including the television station [[New Tang Dynasty TV]], the radio station [[Sound of Hope]], which together with ''The Epoch Times'' form the Epoch media group. The journal is printed by The Epoch Press Inc., another company owned and run by practitioners.<ref name=sap200903>Mata Press Service, [http://www.southasianpost.com/portal2/c1ee8c421f38354c011f43489df90017_Punjabi_Publisher_fights_for_press_freedom_in_BC.do.html "Punjabi Publisher fights for press freedom in BC"] South Asian Post, March 2009</ref>

The ''Wall Street Journal'' reported in 2004 that "Where the paper and [[NTDTV]] are controversial is in their unwillingness to identify themselves as having any association with the group, despite ample evidence to the contrary." It revealed that tax records showed the chairman of the paper's board, Kangang Xu, was a top Falun Gong spokesman.<ref>{{cite news |author=Susan V. Lawrence |title= Falun Gong Adds Media Weapons In Struggle With China's Rulers |work=Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition)|date=April 14, 2004 |page=B.2I }}</ref> In 2005, the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' reported that the boards and reporting staffs are composed of Falun Gong practitioners. Furthermore, Levi Browde, a corporate director of the English-language edition of ''The Epoch Times'', was identified as the New York spokesman for Falun Gong and for the Falun Dafa Information Center.<ref name="sfgate"/> A 2006 report by the U.S. [[Congressional Research Service]] listed the newspaper as a Falun Gong affiliated media source.<ref name="Congressional Research Service"/>


==Distribution==
==Distribution==
[[File:Epoch Times in Manhattan.jpg|thumb|Epoch Times on sale in [[Manhattan]]]]
[[File:RE Mag Final pg01.pdf|thumb|''The Epoch Times''’ special edition on Real Estate, distributed in [[Manhattan]].]]
Epoch Times pursues a native-language strategy{{Clarify|date=July 2010}} to an extreme{{Peacock term|date=July 2010}} through international expansion.<ref name=sotm>{{cite web |url=http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2009/printable_ethnic_chapter.htm |title=Annual Report on American Journalism |work=State of the News Media |year=2009}}</ref> As of April 2006, ''The Epoch Times'' was available in ten languages for its print editions and in 17 languages on the Internet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.epochtimes.com/language.html |title=Epoch Times has 17 Languages on the Web |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> English editions were distributed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. German and French editions were launched in late 2004. There were two language editions published in [[Tokyo]], Japan: the Chinese language edition, launched in January 2001, and the Japanese language edition, launched in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epochtimes.jp/djy/about_djysb.html#5 |title=大紀元時報−日本 |publisher=Epochtimes.jp |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> In addition, an Hebrew edition of the Epoch Times is available in Israel since 2005.
As of ''The Epoch Times'' is available in ten languages for its print editions and in 17 languages on the Internet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.epochtimes.com/language.html |title=Epoch Times has 17 Languages on the Web |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> English editions were distributed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. German and French editions were launched in late 2004. There were two language editions published in [[Tokyo]], Japan: the Chinese language edition, launched in January 2001, and the Japanese language edition, launched in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epochtimes.jp/djy/about_djysb.html#5 |title=大紀元時報−日本 |publisher=Epochtimes.jp |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> In addition, an Hebrew edition of the Epoch Times is available in Israel since 2005.


Yuezhi Zhao, Assistant Professor of Communication at [[Simon Fraser University]], Canada, wrote in 2003 that ''The Epoch Times'' website and ''The Epoch Times'' group of newspapers had "grown into one of the largest Chinese-language news websites and newspaper groups outside China in the past two years, with local editions in more than thirty U.S. states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and major Western European countries."<ref name=zhao/> Its circulation is unaudited, and it claims a [[newspaper circulation|circulation]] of 100,000 in the United States, and more than 1 million worldwide in 2009.<ref name=sotm/>
Yuezhi Zhao, Assistant Professor of Communication at [[Simon Fraser University]], Canada, wrote in 2003 that ''The Epoch Times'' website and ''The Epoch Times'' group of newspapers had "grown into one of the largest Chinese-language news websites and newspaper groups outside China in the past two years, with local editions in more than thirty U.S. states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and major Western European countries."<ref name=zhao/> It claims a [[newspaper circulation|circulation]] of 100,000 in the United States, and more than 1 million worldwide in 2009; it is unaudited in some places.<ref name=sotm>{{cite web |url=http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2009/printable_ethnic_chapter.htm |title=Annual Report on American Journalism |work=State of the News Media |year=2009}}</ref>


==Coverage and focus==
==Coverage and focus==
Typically a 16-page broadsheet, the Epoch Times also runs mainstream newswire stories and can resemble a community newspaper.<ref name=waves/> Local versions take the form of a free weekly newspaper drawing on content from the Epoch Times website, and are distributed worldwide. Zhao said: "While mainstream newspaper typically treat Web versions as an extension of the already-existing print version, the Epoch Times website serves as the master for all its worldwide papers."<ref name="zhao">Zhao, Yuezhi, "Falun Gong, Identity, and the Struggle over Meaning Inside and Outside China", pp 209-223 in ''Contesting Media Power: Alternative Media in a Networked World'', edited by Nick Couldry and James Curran (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003)</ref>
Typically a 16-page broadsheet, the Epoch Times also runs mainstream newswire stories and in some places can resemble a community newspaper.<ref name=waves/> Some local versions take the form of a free weekly newspaper drawing on content from the Epoch Times website, and are distributed worldwide. Zhao said: "While mainstream newspaper typically treat Web versions as an extension of the already-existing print version, the Epoch Times website serves as the master for all its worldwide papers."<ref name="zhao">Zhao, Yuezhi, "Falun Gong, Identity, and the Struggle over Meaning Inside and Outside China", pp 209-223 in ''Contesting Media Power: Alternative Media in a Networked World'', edited by Nick Couldry and James Curran (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003)</ref>

The English edition represents itself as a general-interest newspaper that, although it maintains a large amount of China-related content, offers twelve other sections, including travel, science, sports, and regional and international news.


===Political stance===
===Political stance===
''The Epoch Times'' originally targeted Chinese readers living abroad and reported on various abuses and inner workings of the [[Communist Party of China]] (CCP). The paper's reports on China are highly critical of the Chinese government, particularly in its tone and commentaries towards the Communist Party. The paper is unique in giving significant attention to Falun Gong's campaigns, particularly their attempt to sue former Chinese President [[Jiang Zemin]] under civil legislation for [[genocide]], which many mainstream publications have not covered.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grandtrial.org |title=Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice |publisher=Grandtrial.org |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> As reported by the paper itself, Chinese journalists relayed stories overseas of alleged [[human rights]] abuses, infringements on civil liberties and [[political corruption|corruption]] in the CCP, among others.<ref name="About_Us">''The Epoch Times'', [http://en.epochtimes.com/aboutus.html "About Us"]. Retrieved July 1, 2006.</ref> In 2005, the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' reported that "three new U.S-based, Chinese-language media outlets that provide provocative reporting about the Communist Party, government oppression and social unrest in China [namely the Epoch Times, Sound of Hope, and NTDTV] have ties to the Falun Gong spiritual movement." When interviewed, executives at each outlet denied ties to the Falun Gong movement.<ref name="sfgate"/>
''The Epoch Times'' originally targeted Chinese readers living abroad and reported on various abuses and inner workings of the [[Communist Party of China]] (CCP). The paper's reports on China are highly critical of the Chinese government, particularly in its tone and commentaries towards the Communist Party. The paper is unique in giving significant attention to Falun Gong's campaigns, particularly their attempt to sue former Chinese President [[Jiang Zemin]] under civil legislation for [[genocide]], which many mainstream publications have not covered.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grandtrial.org |title=Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice |publisher=Grandtrial.org |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> As reported by the paper itself, Chinese journalists relayed stories overseas of alleged [[human rights]] abuses, infringements on civil liberties and [[political corruption|corruption]] in the CCP, among others.<ref name="About_Us">''The Epoch Times'', [http://en.epochtimes.com/aboutus.html "About Us"]. Retrieved July 1, 2006.</ref> In 2005, the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' reported that "three new U.S-based, Chinese-language media outlets that provide provocative reporting about the Communist Party, government oppression and social unrest in China [namely the Epoch Times, Sound of Hope, and NTDTV] have ties to the Falun Gong spiritual movement." When interviewed, executives at each outlet said they did not represent the Falun Gong movement as a whole.<ref name="sfgate"/>


The paper also counters what it considers to be CCP propaganda through its own opinion pieces. The paper is also very vocal in supporting dissidents, pro-independence Taiwanese, American conservatives and all other traditional opponents of the CCP.
The paper also counters what it considers to be CCP propaganda through its own opinion pieces. The paper is vocal in supporting dissidents, pro-independence Taiwanese, and other traditional opponents of the CCP.


=== Reporting style ===
=== Reporting style ===
⚫
Throughout March 2006, the newspaper published a series of articles containing allegations by a number of anonymous individuals claiming to be eyewitnesses to organ harvesting in [[Sujiatun Hospital]] and beyond, labelling it "Sujiatun Concentration Camp".<ref name=epoch1>[http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-3-10/39111.html Worse Than Any Nightmare—Journalist Quits China to Expose Concentration Camp Horrors and Bird Flu Coverup], Epoch Times, March 10, 2006</ref> The claims made in the article were unable to be substantiated, and criticised by dissident Harry Wu. The wider allegations of organ harvesting from Falun Gong, however, were taken up by two Canadian researchers, [[David Matas]] and [[David Kilgour]], who found them credible.<ref>http://www.organharvestinvestigation.net</ref>
The paper says it specializes in investigative reporting on China.


⚫
In November 2004, the Chinese version of ''The Epoch Times'' published and heavily promoted a series of editorials and a booklet entitled "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" ({{zh|t=九評共產黨|s=九评共产党|first=t|links=no}}). The editorials purport to give an alternate exposé of the CCP through its history, from its ascent to power under [[Mao Zedong]] to its present-day form, as well as a condemnation of [[communism]] in all of its forms. In it the CCP was criticized as an illegitimate institution who employed underhanded tactics to gain power. The commentaries allege that the CCP "destroyed traditional Chinese culture" and goes so far as to brand the CCP an "evil cult".<ref>{{cite web|author=The Epoch Times Dec 26, 2004 |url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/4-12-26/25182.html |title=Part 8: On How the Chinese Communist Party Is an Evil Cult |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date=2004-12-26 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> The Nine Commentaries won the “Asian American Issues - Online” category of the AAJA National Awards at the 2005 [[Asian American Journalists Association]] (AAJA) convention held in August 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaja.org/programs/awards/2006_06_07_01 |title=Programs : Awards : AAJA NATIONAL AWARDS 1989 - 2006 |publisher=AAJA |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/5-8-19/31392.html |title=The Epoch Times &#124; "Nine Commentaries" Wins National Journalism Award in U.S |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date=2005-08-19 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> The "Commentaries" were subsequently translated into more than 30 other languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/12/13/n746020.htm |title=Translations of the Nine Commentaries |publisher=Epochtimes.com |date=2004-12-13 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref>
⚫
Throughout March 2006, the newspaper published a series of articles containing allegations by a number of anonymous individuals claiming to be eyewitnesses to organ harvesting in [[Sujiatun Hospital]] and beyond, labelling it "Sujiatun Concentration Camp".<ref name=epoch1>[http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-3-10/39111.html Worse Than Any Nightmare—Journalist Quits China to Expose Concentration Camp Horrors and Bird Flu Coverup], Epoch Times, March 10, 2006</ref> The claims made in the article were unable to be substantiated, and criticised by dissident Harry Wu. The wider allegations of organ harvesting from Falun Gong, however, were taken up by two Canadian researchers{{Who|date=July 2010}}, who found them credible
{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}}.

⚫
In November 2004, the Chinese version of ''The Epoch Times'' published and heavily promoted a series of editorials and a booklet entitled "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" ({{zh|t=九評共產黨|s=九评共产党|first=t|links=no}}). The editorials purport to give an alternate exposé of the CCP through its history, from its ascent to power under [[Mao Zedong]] to its present-day form, as well as a condemnation of [[communism]] in all of its forms. In it the CCP was criticized as an illegitimate institution who employed underhanded tactics to gain power. Later in the series, however, the direction seems to shift between the CCP itself, its leaders, and allots an entire chapter on the "personal jealousy of Jiang Zemin" and his attacks on Falun Gong. In addition, the commentaries allege that the CCP "destroyed traditional Chinese culture" and brands the CCP as an "evil cult".<ref>{{cite web|author=The Epoch Times Dec 26, 2004 |url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/4-12-26/25182.html |title=Part 8: On How the Chinese Communist Party Is an Evil Cult |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date=2004-12-26 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> The Nine Commentaries won the “Asian American Issues - Online” category of the AAJA National Awards at the 2005 [[Asian American Journalists Association]] (AAJA) convention held in August 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaja.org/programs/awards/2006_06_07_01 |title=Programs : Awards : AAJA NATIONAL AWARDS 1989 - 2006 |publisher=AAJA |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/5-8-19/31392.html |title=The Epoch Times &#124; "Nine Commentaries" Wins National Journalism Award in U.S |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date=2005-08-19 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> The "Commentaries" were subsequently translated into more than 30 other languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/12/13/n746020.htm |title=Translations of the Nine Commentaries |publisher=Epochtimes.com |date=2004-12-13 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref>


[[Image:Falung Gong manif Paris dsc07595.jpg|thumb|"Support 8.0 Million Chinese Quit Chinese Communist Party"; [[Paris]], Place d'Italie, February 26, 2006.]]
[[Image:Falung Gong manif Paris dsc07595.jpg|thumb|"Support 8.0 Million Chinese Quit Chinese Communist Party"; [[Paris]], Place d'Italie, February 26, 2006.]]
''The Epoch Times'' claims that the publication of the "Nine Commentaries" has caused more than 57 million CCP members to resign as of July 2009.<ref>Hurley, Ben (July 24, 2009). [http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/20076/ Chinese People Saying ‘No’ to Communist Party]. ''The Epoch Times''.</ref> At their Chinese language renunciation website,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tuidang.epochtimes.com |title=退党声明 |publisher=Tuidang.epochtimes.com |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> it was stated that "the evils of the Communist Cult will be punished by God at Judgment Day", and called on members of the CCP to burn Communist memorabilia.
''The Epoch Times'' reports that the publication of the "Nine Commentaries" has caused more than 57 million CCP members to renounce their associations as of July 2009.<ref>Hurley, Ben (July 24, 2009). [http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/20076/ Chinese People Saying ‘No’ to Communist Party]. ''The Epoch Times''.</ref>

⚫
At the English language version of the renunciation website, the cumulative count of people who have renounced the CCP appears as a sidebar to the Internet form which captures English language denunciations of the CCP.<ref>[http://declaration.epochtimes.com/index.php? Official site of the denunciation]</ref>

⚫
During the 2009 [[New York City Comptroller]] elections, ''the Epoch Times'' alleged that Taiwan-born Democratic nominee [[John Liu]] is part of a "United Front" by the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate the United States and subvert its government, democracy, and human rights in general.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/22317/ |title=Chinese Communist Party Subverts Democracies and Rights Abroad |publisher=Epoch Times |date=2009-09-10 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> The newspaper alleges that "the CCP works tenaciously and systematically to place its people [...] in key positions in corporations, academia, and government in the United States and other countries."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/22292/|title=Editor's Note on Coverage of John Liu: Uncovering a hidden threat|date=September 10, 2009}}</ref> The coverage began when practitioners felt Liu had sided with a violent anti-Falun Gong mob, which was reportedly organised by the Chinese Embassy, and therefore was on equal moral footing with the Communist Party of China.<ref name=nyo>The New York Observer: [http://www.observer.com/3343/who-hates-john-liu Who Hates John Liu?]</ref> ''The Epoch Times'' also published an 8-page "special edition", and also featured on its website a section focused on coverage of Liu's reported ties with CCP officials.<ref name=nyo/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/component/option,com_ettopic/topicid,57/ |title=John Liu and the United Front |publisher=Epoch Times |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref>

''The Epoch Times''‘ reports on the activities of the Chinese Communist Party abroad are often referred to by other media. When Hu Jintao visited Canada in June 2010, the Toronto Star noted that the ''Times'' had: "been publishing some hard-hitting stories in advance of Hu’s visit, including a report on how the Chinese embassy in Ottawa was orchestrating demonstrations in support of the president while he was here." The article went on to note how the ''Times'' had obtained a recording of a speech given by Liu Shaohua, the first secretary of the education section at the Chinese embassy in Ottawa, while speaking to a crowd of about 40-50 students receiving Chinese state-scholarships to study in Canada. "In the Epoch Times story, Liu is quoted as saying the embassy is covering the cost of hotel, travel and food for what was estimated to be 3,000 people who were expected to welcome Hu," the Star reported.<ref name="star">Susan Delacourt, [http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/827903--harper-helps-hu-keep-critics-away "Harper helps Hu keep critics away"], Fri Jun 25 2010</ref>

Canadian media reported that the parliamentary press office made deliberate arrangements in relation to Hu's public appearances so as to limit the ''Times''‘ access to the Chinese President, even though the newspaper is an accredited member of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, with all the same access rights as the ''Star'', the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, or any other media outlets.<ref name="star"/> The CBC and other Canadian media also carried interviews with outspoken Canadian MP Rob Anders, after an exclusive interview with Epoch Times wherein Anders alleged that the CCP uses spies, and women for seduction and entrapment.<ref>http://news.speedtv.com/topic/Rob_Anders</ref><ref>http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Liberals+decry+secrecy+around+CSIS+report/3355144/story.html</ref><ref>http://www.vancourier.com/Chinese+Canadian+leader+laments+agency+allegations/3337835/story.html</ref>

==Assessments==
⚫
The Epoch Times' unwavering stance on the Chinese Communist Party and Falun Gong conflict has earned them both supporters and detractors. In the view of some observers, the newspaper's credibility was damaged by [[Wang Wenyi]],<ref name=waves/> who used her ''Epoch Times'' journalist pass to gain access to a [[White House]] lawn press briefing where she yelled at Chinese President [[Hu Jintao]] over recent allegations of organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news |author=Kathy Chen |url=http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119508926438693540.html |title=Chinese Dissidents Take On Beijing Via Media Empire |work=The Wall Street Journal|date=November 15, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2006-05-20|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4925704.stm|title= Bush presses China over currency|publisher=BBC News|date=April 21, 2006}}</ref> In turn, ''The Epoch Times'' apologized to the U.S. President,<ref name="post">{{cite news|accessdate=2006-05-20|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/21/AR2006042101429.html|title=Falun Gong Activist Defiant After Arrest|publisher=Washington Post|date=April 22, 2006 |author=Karlyn Barker and Lena H. Sun}}</ref> whilst denying any direct ties to, or funding from, Falun Gong.<ref name=waves/>

Dr. Liu Kang, professor of Chinese Cultural Studies at [[Duke University]], stated in 2006 that the paper did not adhere to basic journalistic standards of professionalism and objectivity, and is "not viewed as an independent objective news media" by members of the Chinese Diaspora;<ref name="waves">Eugenia Chien, [http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=6ce9872ebb88b3aaa3ff48b6c1ffc19a "Falun Gong-Linked Media Venture Makes Waves, Raises Questions"], ''New America Media'', News Analysis, May 16, 2006</ref> he also referred to the Wang incident. Liu remarked that the newspaper is seen by the overseas Chinese community as "Falun Gong propaganda". The ''Times'' often reports that the Chinese Diaspora is itself heavily influenced by the CCP's own propaganda.<ref>http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-2-23/38576.html</ref>

⚫
James Bettinger, a professor of Communications at [[Stanford University]] and the director of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships, said "Even if the Epoch Times is not associated with Falun Gong, if they consistently write about Falun Gong in the same perspective, or if there are no articles examining Falun Gong, people would perceive it as being not credible."<ref name=waves/> According to David Ownby, speaking to Radio Canada, at least the French version of the journal "so lacking in balanced reporting that it resembles the anti-communist propaganda from Taiwan in the 1950s."<ref>''ibid'' Radio Canada ombudsman report, Pg10: "According to Professor Ownby, the newspaper ''La Grande Époque'', founded by Falun Gong practitioners, is so lacking in balanced reporting that it resembles the anti-communist propaganda from Taiwan in the 1950s."</ref>


This apparent lack of balance has been lauded by some Chinese dissidents. Jiao Guobiao, an outspoken dissident and former Beijing University journalism professor who was dismissed after criticising the CCP's propaganda department, proposed that even if Falun Gong outlets published only negative information highly critical of the CCP, the weight of their attacks could never begin to counterbalance the positive propaganda the party publishes about itself. "What the mainland Chinese public lacks is negative information about mainland China... Balance does not mean that all media entities have to achieve a God-like balance, but that the media can balance the principles of freedom, equality and legality together... Balance is the result of the collective imbalances of all," he wrote.<ref>Thornton, Patricia M. Manufacturing Dissent in Transnational China pp. 179-204 in "Popular Protest in China," Kevin J. O'Brien (ed.), Harvard University Press 2008</ref>
⚫
At the English language version of the renunciation website, the cumulative count of people who have allegedly quit the CCP appears as a sidebar to the Internet form which captures English language denunciations of the CCP.<ref>[http://declaration.epochtimes.com/index.php? Official site of the denunciation]</ref>


Others have given different opinions. Orville Schell, dean of the [[UC Berkeley]] Graduate School of Journalism, said in 2005 that "It's hard to vouch for their quality because it's difficult to corroborate, but it's not something to be dismissed as pure propaganda."<ref name=sfgate/>
⚫
During the 2009 [[New York City Comptroller]] elections, ''the Epoch Times'' alleged that Taiwan-born Democratic nominee [[John Liu]] is part of a "United Front" by the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate the United States and subvert its government, democracy, and human rights in general.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/22317/ |title=Chinese Communist Party Subverts Democracies and Rights Abroad |publisher=Epoch Times |date=2009-09-10 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> The newspaper alleges that "the CCP works tenaciously and systematically to place its people [...] in key positions in corporations, academia, and government in the United States and other countries."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/22292/|title=Editor's Note on Coverage of John Liu: Uncovering a hidden threat|date=September 10, 2009}}</ref> The anti-Liu coverage seemed to have began because Falun Gong practitioners alleged that he had sided with Falun Gong's critics, and therefore was on equal moral footing with the Communist Party of China.<ref name=nyo>The New York Observer: [http://www.observer.com/3343/who-hates-john-liu Who Hates John Liu?]</ref> ''The Epoch Times'' also published an 8-page anti-Liu "special edition", and also featured on its website an entire section devoted to anti-Liu coverage, though the paper maintains that it is non-partisan.<ref name=nyo/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/component/option,com_ettopic/topicid,57/ |title=John Liu and the United Front |publisher=Epoch Times |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref>


The Epoch Times' was vindicated in 2010 when John Gordon Miller, a senior media figure in Canada, examined the ''Times''’ reporting about a publisher who had printed slander against Falun Gong. Miller said the ''Times''’ articles “appear to be thoroughly and professionally reported, which isn't always the case in the often under-resourced ethnocultural press.” The Epoch Times had to defend its reporting in court, when the publisher they had reported on, Crescent Chau, sued for libel.<ref name="straightgood">Miller, John Gordon. [http://www.straightgoods.ca/2010/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=554 "Judge rules that Falun Gong newspaper acted in the public interest"]. Straight Goods, Monday, May 31, 2010</ref> The Justice in charge of the case ruled that the paper had acted in the public interest, and that its articles expressed “legitimate concerns and constitute an opinion which is drawn from a factual premise and not made for the purpose of abusively attacking the reputation of Mr. Chau.”
==Opinions & Criticisms==
⚫
Dr. Liu Kang, professor of Chinese Cultural Studies at [[Duke University]], stated in 2006 that the paper did not adhere to basic journalistic standards of professionalism and objectivity, and is "not viewed as an independent objective news media".<ref name="waves">Eugenia Chien, [http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=6ce9872ebb88b3aaa3ff48b6c1ffc19a "Falun Gong-Linked Media Venture Makes Waves, Raises Questions"], ''New America Media'', News Analysis, May 16, 2006</ref> Liu remarked that the newspaper is seen by the overseas Chinese community as "Falun Gong propaganda" and said the newspaper's credibility as media professionals was damaged by [[Wang Wenyi]],<ref name=waves/> who used her ''Epoch Times'' journalist pass to gain access to a [[White House]] lawn press briefing where she hurled insults at Chinese President [[Hu Jintao]].<ref name="wsj">{{cite news |author=Kathy Chen |url=http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119508926438693540.html |title=Chinese Dissidents Take On Beijing Via Media Empire |work=The Wall Street Journal|date=November 15, 2007}}</ref> President [[George W. Bush]] apologized to the Chinese for the incident.<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2006-05-20|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4925704.stm|title= Bush presses China over currency|publisher=BBC News|date=April 21, 2006}}</ref> In turn, ''The Epoch Times'' apologized to the U.S. President,<ref name="post">{{cite news|accessdate=2006-05-20|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/21/AR2006042101429.html|title=Falun Gong Activist Defiant After Arrest|publisher=Washington Post|date=April 22, 2006 |author=Karlyn Barker and Lena H. Sun}}</ref> whilst denying any direct ties to, or funding from, Falun Gong.<ref name=waves/>


It was a significant victory the Times, whose credibility had been damaged by the Wang Wenyi incident. “In the Quebec case, the paper's reporting stood up to the court's scrutiny,” Miller wrote.<ref name="straightgood"/>
⚫
Orville Schell, dean of the [[UC Berkeley]] Graduate School of Journalism, said in 2005 that "It's hard to vouch for their quality because it's difficult to corroborate, but it's not something to be dismissed as pure propaganda."<ref name=sfgate/> According to David Ownby, speaking to Radio Canada, at least the French version of the journal "so lacking in balanced reporting that it resembles the anti-communist propaganda from Taiwan in the 1950s."<ref>''ibid'' Radio Canada ombudsman report, Pg10: "According to Professor Ownby, the newspaper ''La Grande Époque'', founded by Falun Gong practitioners, is so lacking in balanced reporting that it resembles the anti-communist propaganda from Taiwan in the 1950s."</ref> James Bettinger, a professor of Communications at [[Stanford University]] and the director of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships, said "Even if the Epoch Times is not associated with Falun Gong, if they consistently write about Falun Gong in the same perspective, or if there are no articles examining Falun Gong, people would perceive it as being not credible."<ref name=waves/>


In June 2010 the controversial radio host [[Michael Savage]] spoke extemporaneously about ''The Epoch Times'' for about five minutes of one of his broadcasts. He said, in part: "the journalism is on the highest level, the writing is better than The New York Times, the analysis is superior, and the stories are astonishing... I don’t read anything like this..." He read excerpts from articles for several minutes. He continued: "It says 'Chaos plagues China today...corruption is rife', I couldn’t believe that someone is telling the truth about China."<ref>Michael Savage, broadcast of June 28, 2010. Quote: "There’s a great newspaper out called The Epoch Times, I only picked it up for the first time last week... it’s like free in the newsstands... I don’t normally read papers, but this is like a real newspaper and I didn’t know who it is.. apparently there an anti-communist newspaper but the, umm, the journalism is on the highest level, the writing is better than The New York Times, the analysis is superior, and the stories are astonishing, so listen to the headline, “Media Blackout in the Gulf” Reporters face difficulties getting access to site cleanup workers…So I’m reading this paper, and they’ve got a fascinating story about the world has been kidnapped…I said what? What’s this article? I don’t read anything like this. Remember I’m reading from The Epoch Times, The World Has Been Kidnapped. Listen to this: I’m excited today, reinvigorated. It says: “Chaos plagues China today...corruption is rife” I couldn’t believe that someone is telling the truth about China.."</ref>
According to Maria H. Chang of the [[University of Nevada, Reno|University of Nevada]], the paper was founded based on the socio-political environment in China. She argues that for the organization to survive, Falun Gong has to create organisations that are publicly unaffiliated with it, such as ''the Epoch Times''. Chang states that such strategies are counterproductive in democratic societies, and that "being secretive and deceptive will just play into the image they're a kooky group with something to hide." <ref>[http://www.rickross.com/reference/fa_lun_gong/falun339.html The gospel truth: Falun Gong], Sunday Star Times, March 2, 2008</ref>


===Awards and recognition===
In May 2005, ''Die Neue Epoche'', the German edition of ''The Epoch Times'', received a special media prize from the [[International Society for Human Rights]] (IGFM) for "extensive and regular reporting about violations of [[Human rights in the People's Republic of China|human rights in China]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-5-10/41381.html |title=The Epoch Times Wins Prize for Human Rights Reporting |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date=2006-05-10 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> In August 2005, the English version of the paper was awarded the top award in the category "Asian American Issues - Online" by the [[Asian American Journalists Association]] (AAJA).<ref name="Chicago_Reader">{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/hottype/2005/051014_1.html |work=Chicago Reader |date=October 14, 2005 |author=Michael Miner|title=Down With the Chinese Tyrants! Chicago's latest free weekly has a simple editorial message}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/5-8-19/31392.html |work=The Epoch Times |title=Nine Commentaries" Wins National Journalism Award in U.S. |date=August 15, 2005}}</ref> In September 2005, the Chinese version of the paper was recognized during the National Ethnomedia Week 2005 in [[Canada]] as a "strong defender of human rights and free democratic values."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nepmcc.ca/articles/awards03.htm |title=nepm |publisher=Nepmcc.ca |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref>
In May 2005, ''Die Neue Epoche'', the German edition of ''The Epoch Times'', received a special media prize from the [[International Society for Human Rights]] (IGFM) for "extensive and regular reporting about violations of [[Human rights in the People's Republic of China|human rights in China]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-5-10/41381.html |title=The Epoch Times Wins Prize for Human Rights Reporting |publisher=En.epochtimes.com |date=2006-05-10 |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref> In August 2005, the English version of the paper was awarded the top award in the category "Asian American Issues - Online" by the [[Asian American Journalists Association]] (AAJA).<ref name="Chicago_Reader">{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/hottype/2005/051014_1.html |work=Chicago Reader |date=October 14, 2005 |author=Michael Miner|title=Down With the Chinese Tyrants! Chicago's latest free weekly has a simple editorial message}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://en.epochtimes.com/news/5-8-19/31392.html |work=The Epoch Times |title=Nine Commentaries" Wins National Journalism Award in U.S. |date=August 15, 2005}}</ref> In September 2005, the Chinese version of the paper was recognized during the National Ethnomedia Week 2005 in [[Canada]] as a "strong defender of human rights and free democratic values."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nepmcc.ca/articles/awards03.htm |title=nepm |publisher=Nepmcc.ca |date= |accessdate=2009-12-18}}</ref>


Revision as of 06:19, 17 August 2010

The Epoch Times
File:A1 eet-2010-05-03-ny-us.pdf
TypeInternational newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
Founded2000
Political alignmentanti-communist, anti-Chinese Communist Party
Languagemainly Chinese and English
HeadquartersNew York,
 United States
Circulation1.4 million (unaudited)
WebsiteThe Epoch Times

The Epoch Times (traditional Chinese: 大紀元; simplified Chinese: 大纪元; pinyin: Dàjìyuán) is a multi-language, international media organisation. As a newspaper, the Times has been publishing in Chinese since May 2000. It was founded in 1999 by supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline.[1][2][3]

The paper covers general interest issues, China, and human rights.[4][5][6] The newspaper is often critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and policies of the Chinese government. In 2004, the newspaper published the "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party", an in-depth critique of China's ruling regime. The newspaper covers causes and groups opposed to the CCP, including Falun Gong, dissidents, activists, and supporters of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The Epoch Times Website also hosts a "CCP Renunciations" service, encouraging Chinese to "renounce" the CCP and related organizations. The Chinese government blocks mainland Chinese from accessing the Epoch Times website.[7]

Headquartered in New York City, the newspaper has local bureaux and a network of local reporters throughout the world. It is either sold or distributed free-of-charge in roughly 30 countries worldwide, and maintains editions in English, Chinese, nine other languages in print, and 17 on the web.

History

According to the newspaper itself, The Epoch Times was founded in New York in May 2000, following the arrest of a small circle of journalists in China in 2000.[8] As stated on the website, it was “in a suburban Atlanta home basement with a noble cause, a clear sense of purpose and a few home personal computers.” The Times says its founding mission was "to restore freedom of the press in and about China."[8]

On August 12, 2002, The Epoch Times launched its first daily in Washington, D.C.[citation needed] In August 2004, an English language edition of The Epoch Times was launched in Manhattan, as well as Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, and several other cities.[9] It is also distributed in Chicago and San Diego.[10] The paper has associated media services, including the television station New Tang Dynasty TV, the radio station Sound of Hope. The journal is in some places printed by The Epoch Press Inc., another company owned and run by Falun Gong practitioners.[11]

The Times is often connected with the Falun Gong spiritual group. A 2006 report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service listed the newspaper as a Falun Gong affiliated media source,[6] and Professor David Ownby, an expert on Falun Gong, said that after years of ill-treatment by journalists, "they decided to publish a newspaper by themselves to publicize their beliefs..."[12]

Distribution

File:RE Mag Final pg01.pdf
The Epoch Times’ special edition on Real Estate, distributed in Manhattan.

As of The Epoch Times is available in ten languages for its print editions and in 17 languages on the Internet.[13] English editions were distributed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. German and French editions were launched in late 2004. There were two language editions published in Tokyo, Japan: the Chinese language edition, launched in January 2001, and the Japanese language edition, launched in 2005.[14] In addition, an Hebrew edition of the Epoch Times is available in Israel since 2005.

Yuezhi Zhao, Assistant Professor of Communication at Simon Fraser University, Canada, wrote in 2003 that The Epoch Times website and The Epoch Times group of newspapers had "grown into one of the largest Chinese-language news websites and newspaper groups outside China in the past two years, with local editions in more than thirty U.S. states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and major Western European countries."[15] It claims a circulation of 100,000 in the United States, and more than 1 million worldwide in 2009; it is unaudited in some places.[16]

Coverage and focus

Typically a 16-page broadsheet, the Epoch Times also runs mainstream newswire stories and in some places can resemble a community newspaper.[17] Some local versions take the form of a free weekly newspaper drawing on content from the Epoch Times website, and are distributed worldwide. Zhao said: "While mainstream newspaper typically treat Web versions as an extension of the already-existing print version, the Epoch Times website serves as the master for all its worldwide papers."[15]

Political stance

The Epoch Times originally targeted Chinese readers living abroad and reported on various abuses and inner workings of the Communist Party of China (CCP). The paper's reports on China are highly critical of the Chinese government, particularly in its tone and commentaries towards the Communist Party. The paper is unique in giving significant attention to Falun Gong's campaigns, particularly their attempt to sue former Chinese President Jiang Zemin under civil legislation for genocide, which many mainstream publications have not covered.[18] As reported by the paper itself, Chinese journalists relayed stories overseas of alleged human rights abuses, infringements on civil liberties and corruption in the CCP, among others.[8] In 2005, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that "three new U.S-based, Chinese-language media outlets that provide provocative reporting about the Communist Party, government oppression and social unrest in China [namely the Epoch Times, Sound of Hope, and NTDTV] have ties to the Falun Gong spiritual movement." When interviewed, executives at each outlet said they did not represent the Falun Gong movement as a whole.[4]

The paper also counters what it considers to be CCP propaganda through its own opinion pieces. The paper is vocal in supporting dissidents, pro-independence Taiwanese, and other traditional opponents of the CCP.

Reporting style

Throughout March 2006, the newspaper published a series of articles containing allegations by a number of anonymous individuals claiming to be eyewitnesses to organ harvesting in Sujiatun Hospital and beyond, labelling it "Sujiatun Concentration Camp".[19] The claims made in the article were unable to be substantiated, and criticised by dissident Harry Wu. The wider allegations of organ harvesting from Falun Gong, however, were taken up by two Canadian researchers, David Matas and David Kilgour, who found them credible.[20]

In November 2004, the Chinese version of The Epoch Times published and heavily promoted a series of editorials and a booklet entitled "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" (traditional Chinese: 九評共產黨; simplified Chinese: 九评共产党). The editorials purport to give an alternate exposé of the CCP through its history, from its ascent to power under Mao Zedong to its present-day form, as well as a condemnation of communism in all of its forms. In it the CCP was criticized as an illegitimate institution who employed underhanded tactics to gain power. The commentaries allege that the CCP "destroyed traditional Chinese culture" and goes so far as to brand the CCP an "evil cult".[21] The Nine Commentaries won the “Asian American Issues - Online” category of the AAJA National Awards at the 2005 Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention held in August 2005.[22][23] The "Commentaries" were subsequently translated into more than 30 other languages.[24]

"Support 8.0 Million Chinese Quit Chinese Communist Party"; Paris, Place d'Italie, February 26, 2006.

The Epoch Times reports that the publication of the "Nine Commentaries" has caused more than 57 million CCP members to renounce their associations as of July 2009.[25]

At the English language version of the renunciation website, the cumulative count of people who have renounced the CCP appears as a sidebar to the Internet form which captures English language denunciations of the CCP.[26]

During the 2009 New York City Comptroller elections, the Epoch Times alleged that Taiwan-born Democratic nominee John Liu is part of a "United Front" by the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate the United States and subvert its government, democracy, and human rights in general.[27] The newspaper alleges that "the CCP works tenaciously and systematically to place its people [...] in key positions in corporations, academia, and government in the United States and other countries."[28] The coverage began when practitioners felt Liu had sided with a violent anti-Falun Gong mob, which was reportedly organised by the Chinese Embassy, and therefore was on equal moral footing with the Communist Party of China.[29] The Epoch Times also published an 8-page "special edition", and also featured on its website a section focused on coverage of Liu's reported ties with CCP officials.[29][30]

The Epoch Times‘ reports on the activities of the Chinese Communist Party abroad are often referred to by other media. When Hu Jintao visited Canada in June 2010, the Toronto Star noted that the Times had: "been publishing some hard-hitting stories in advance of Hu’s visit, including a report on how the Chinese embassy in Ottawa was orchestrating demonstrations in support of the president while he was here." The article went on to note how the Times had obtained a recording of a speech given by Liu Shaohua, the first secretary of the education section at the Chinese embassy in Ottawa, while speaking to a crowd of about 40-50 students receiving Chinese state-scholarships to study in Canada. "In the Epoch Times story, Liu is quoted as saying the embassy is covering the cost of hotel, travel and food for what was estimated to be 3,000 people who were expected to welcome Hu," the Star reported.[31]

Canadian media reported that the parliamentary press office made deliberate arrangements in relation to Hu's public appearances so as to limit the Times‘ access to the Chinese President, even though the newspaper is an accredited member of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, with all the same access rights as the Star, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, or any other media outlets.[31] The CBC and other Canadian media also carried interviews with outspoken Canadian MP Rob Anders, after an exclusive interview with Epoch Times wherein Anders alleged that the CCP uses spies, and women for seduction and entrapment.[32][33][34]

Assessments

The Epoch Times' unwavering stance on the Chinese Communist Party and Falun Gong conflict has earned them both supporters and detractors. In the view of some observers, the newspaper's credibility was damaged by Wang Wenyi,[17] who used her Epoch Times journalist pass to gain access to a White House lawn press briefing where she yelled at Chinese President Hu Jintao over recent allegations of organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China.[35][36] In turn, The Epoch Times apologized to the U.S. President,[37] whilst denying any direct ties to, or funding from, Falun Gong.[17]

Dr. Liu Kang, professor of Chinese Cultural Studies at Duke University, stated in 2006 that the paper did not adhere to basic journalistic standards of professionalism and objectivity, and is "not viewed as an independent objective news media" by members of the Chinese Diaspora;[17] he also referred to the Wang incident. Liu remarked that the newspaper is seen by the overseas Chinese community as "Falun Gong propaganda". The Times often reports that the Chinese Diaspora is itself heavily influenced by the CCP's own propaganda.[38]

James Bettinger, a professor of Communications at Stanford University and the director of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships, said "Even if the Epoch Times is not associated with Falun Gong, if they consistently write about Falun Gong in the same perspective, or if there are no articles examining Falun Gong, people would perceive it as being not credible."[17] According to David Ownby, speaking to Radio Canada, at least the French version of the journal "so lacking in balanced reporting that it resembles the anti-communist propaganda from Taiwan in the 1950s."[39]

This apparent lack of balance has been lauded by some Chinese dissidents. Jiao Guobiao, an outspoken dissident and former Beijing University journalism professor who was dismissed after criticising the CCP's propaganda department, proposed that even if Falun Gong outlets published only negative information highly critical of the CCP, the weight of their attacks could never begin to counterbalance the positive propaganda the party publishes about itself. "What the mainland Chinese public lacks is negative information about mainland China... Balance does not mean that all media entities have to achieve a God-like balance, but that the media can balance the principles of freedom, equality and legality together... Balance is the result of the collective imbalances of all," he wrote.[40]

Others have given different opinions. Orville Schell, dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, said in 2005 that "It's hard to vouch for their quality because it's difficult to corroborate, but it's not something to be dismissed as pure propaganda."[4]

The Epoch Times' was vindicated in 2010 when John Gordon Miller, a senior media figure in Canada, examined the Times’ reporting about a publisher who had printed slander against Falun Gong. Miller said the Times’ articles “appear to be thoroughly and professionally reported, which isn't always the case in the often under-resourced ethnocultural press.” The Epoch Times had to defend its reporting in court, when the publisher they had reported on, Crescent Chau, sued for libel.[41] The Justice in charge of the case ruled that the paper had acted in the public interest, and that its articles expressed “legitimate concerns and constitute an opinion which is drawn from a factual premise and not made for the purpose of abusively attacking the reputation of Mr. Chau.”

It was a significant victory the Times, whose credibility had been damaged by the Wang Wenyi incident. “In the Quebec case, the paper's reporting stood up to the court's scrutiny,” Miller wrote.[41]

In June 2010 the controversial radio host Michael Savage spoke extemporaneously about The Epoch Times for about five minutes of one of his broadcasts. He said, in part: "the journalism is on the highest level, the writing is better than The New York Times, the analysis is superior, and the stories are astonishing... I don’t read anything like this..." He read excerpts from articles for several minutes. He continued: "It says 'Chaos plagues China today...corruption is rife', I couldn’t believe that someone is telling the truth about China."[42]

In May 2005, Die Neue Epoche, the German edition of The Epoch Times, received a special media prize from the International Society for Human Rights (IGFM) for "extensive and regular reporting about violations of human rights in China."[43] In August 2005, the English version of the paper was awarded the top award in the category "Asian American Issues - Online" by the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).[10][44] In September 2005, the Chinese version of the paper was recognized during the National Ethnomedia Week 2005 in Canada as a "strong defender of human rights and free democratic values."[45]

References

  • Ombudsman, French Services (January 27, 2009). "Review on the investigative report entitled Malaise dans le Chinatown" (PDF). CBC Radio Canada.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Postmedia News, [ http://www.canada.com/Tory+says+China+using+gifts+influence+politicians/3341249/story.html "Tory MP says China using gifts, sex to influence our politicians"], Canada.com
  2. ^ China's Campaign Against Falungong, Human Rights Watch
  3. ^ China uses Rule of Law to Crackdown on Falun Gong, Human Rights Watch
  4. ^ a b c Hua, Vanessa (December 18, 2005). "Dissident media linked to Falun Gong / Chinese-language print, broadcast outlets in U.S. are making waves". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2006-12-09.
  5. ^ Peter Schworm (December 3, 2007). "Chinese-American activists decry China's communism". The Boston Globe.
  6. ^ a b Thomas Lum (August 11, 2006). "China and Falun Gong" (PDF). Congressional Research Service.
  7. ^ "Reporters sans frontières - China". Rsf.org. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  8. ^ a b c The Epoch Times, "About Us". Retrieved July 1, 2006.
  9. ^ "The Epoch Times - Advertising with a corporate social responsibility". Ads.epochtimes.eu. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  10. ^ a b Michael Miner (October 14, 2005). "Down With the Chinese Tyrants! Chicago's latest free weekly has a simple editorial message". Chicago Reader.
  11. ^ Mata Press Service, "Punjabi Publisher fights for press freedom in BC" South Asian Post, March 2009
  12. ^ ibid Radio Canada ombudsman report, Pg10
  13. ^ "Epoch Times has 17 Languages on the Web". En.epochtimes.com. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  14. ^ "大紀元時報−日本". Epochtimes.jp. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  15. ^ a b Zhao, Yuezhi, "Falun Gong, Identity, and the Struggle over Meaning Inside and Outside China", pp 209-223 in Contesting Media Power: Alternative Media in a Networked World, edited by Nick Couldry and James Curran (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003)
  16. ^ "Annual Report on American Journalism". State of the News Media. 2009.
  17. ^ a b c d e Eugenia Chien, "Falun Gong-Linked Media Venture Makes Waves, Raises Questions", New America Media, News Analysis, May 16, 2006
  18. ^ "Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice". Grandtrial.org. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  19. ^ Worse Than Any Nightmare—Journalist Quits China to Expose Concentration Camp Horrors and Bird Flu Coverup, Epoch Times, March 10, 2006
  20. ^ http://www.organharvestinvestigation.net
  21. ^ The Epoch Times Dec 26, 2004 (2004-12-26). "Part 8: On How the Chinese Communist Party Is an Evil Cult". En.epochtimes.com. Retrieved 2009-12-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ "Programs : Awards : AAJA NATIONAL AWARDS 1989 - 2006". AAJA. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  23. ^ "The Epoch Times | "Nine Commentaries" Wins National Journalism Award in U.S". En.epochtimes.com. 2005-08-19. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  24. ^ "Translations of the Nine Commentaries". Epochtimes.com. 2004-12-13. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  25. ^ Hurley, Ben (July 24, 2009). Chinese People Saying ‘No’ to Communist Party. The Epoch Times.
  26. ^ Official site of the denunciation
  27. ^ "Chinese Communist Party Subverts Democracies and Rights Abroad". Epoch Times. 2009-09-10. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  28. ^ "Editor's Note on Coverage of John Liu: Uncovering a hidden threat". September 10, 2009.
  29. ^ a b The New York Observer: Who Hates John Liu?
  30. ^ "John Liu and the United Front". Epoch Times. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  31. ^ a b Susan Delacourt, "Harper helps Hu keep critics away", Fri Jun 25 2010
  32. ^ http://news.speedtv.com/topic/Rob_Anders
  33. ^ http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Liberals+decry+secrecy+around+CSIS+report/3355144/story.html
  34. ^ http://www.vancourier.com/Chinese+Canadian+leader+laments+agency+allegations/3337835/story.html
  35. ^ Kathy Chen (November 15, 2007). "Chinese Dissidents Take On Beijing Via Media Empire". The Wall Street Journal.
  36. ^ "Bush presses China over currency". BBC News. April 21, 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-20.
  37. ^ Karlyn Barker and Lena H. Sun (April 22, 2006). "Falun Gong Activist Defiant After Arrest". Washington Post. Retrieved 2006-05-20.
  38. ^ http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-2-23/38576.html
  39. ^ ibid Radio Canada ombudsman report, Pg10: "According to Professor Ownby, the newspaper La Grande Époque, founded by Falun Gong practitioners, is so lacking in balanced reporting that it resembles the anti-communist propaganda from Taiwan in the 1950s."
  40. ^ Thornton, Patricia M. Manufacturing Dissent in Transnational China pp. 179-204 in "Popular Protest in China," Kevin J. O'Brien (ed.), Harvard University Press 2008
  41. ^ a b Miller, John Gordon. "Judge rules that Falun Gong newspaper acted in the public interest". Straight Goods, Monday, May 31, 2010
  42. ^ Michael Savage, broadcast of June 28, 2010. Quote: "There’s a great newspaper out called The Epoch Times, I only picked it up for the first time last week... it’s like free in the newsstands... I don’t normally read papers, but this is like a real newspaper and I didn’t know who it is.. apparently there an anti-communist newspaper but the, umm, the journalism is on the highest level, the writing is better than The New York Times, the analysis is superior, and the stories are astonishing, so listen to the headline, “Media Blackout in the Gulf” Reporters face difficulties getting access to site cleanup workers…So I’m reading this paper, and they’ve got a fascinating story about the world has been kidnapped…I said what? What’s this article? I don’t read anything like this. Remember I’m reading from The Epoch Times, The World Has Been Kidnapped. Listen to this: I’m excited today, reinvigorated. It says: “Chaos plagues China today...corruption is rife” I couldn’t believe that someone is telling the truth about China.."
  43. ^ "The Epoch Times Wins Prize for Human Rights Reporting". En.epochtimes.com. 2006-05-10. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  44. ^ "Nine Commentaries" Wins National Journalism Award in U.S." The Epoch Times. August 15, 2005.
  45. ^ "nepm". Nepmcc.ca. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Epoch_Times&oldid=379352540"