The Epoch Times: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous edit Next edit →Content deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 21:39, 4 June 2006

The Epoch Times (Simplified Chinese: 大纪元; Traditional Chinese: 大紀元; Pinyin: Dàjìyuán) is a Falun Gong-linked Chinese newspaper distributed free-of-charge in roughly 30 countries worldwide and translated in more than ten languages. The newspaper claims to have a special strength in its coverage of China and human rights issues, and frequently contains articles with strongly opinionated views on the Communist Party of China, mainland Chinese society, and groups against the CPC, especially Falun Gong. While the paper claims an independent stance, it has been criticized as being biased.

History

According to Li Hongzhi, the founder and leader of the Falun Gong, the Epoch Times "was established by Dafa disciples for validating the Fa." The term Dafa refers to Li's "great law" which is now judging mankind and weeding out corrupt people in a process called "Fa-rectification." However, according to the newpaper itself, The Epoch Times was founded by a small circle of journalists in China in 2000. These journalists relayed stories overseas of alleged human rights abuses, infringements on civil liberties, and corruption in the Communist Party of China (CPC), among others.

Despite being blocked by authorities inside China, the Epoch Times continued to expand operations overseas and has since become one of the most widely distributed Chinese newspapers serving the overseas Chinese population, since it is distributed for free. It now has a weekly print distribution of over 1 million copies in 30 countries worldwide. The paper has associated media services, including the television station New Tang Dynasty TV, the radio station, Sound of Hope, Minghui (Clear Wisdom), Reminbao (People's Paper), amongst others.

In August 2004, an English language edition of the Epoch Times was launched in Manhattan. English editions are distributed in Australia, Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Ottawa), Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States (Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Houston, Atlanta). German and French editions were launched in late 2004, and more recently Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Ukrainian, Dutch and Hebrew editions have started up in print.

In May 2005, Die Neue Epoche (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." In September 2005, the English 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."

Wang Wenyi, an Epoch Times reporter, was removed from the White House grounds by the United States Secret Service on April 20, 2006 for shouting and disrupting a speech by President Hu Jintao of China. On April 21, 2006, she was charged in federal court with a misdemeanor of willfully intimidating, coercing threatening and harassing a foreign official. If convicted, she could receive up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

As of April 2006, The Epoch Times has 10 languages in print, and 17 languages on the web.

Focus

The Epoch Times originally targeted Chinese readers living abroad and reported on various alleged persecutions and abuses by, as well as the inner workings of, the CPC. Its reports on China are highly critical of the government. It often refers to China as "Communist China" in its reports, including non-political articles, as it does not recognise the CPC as the legitimate government of China. It has since grown to report on civil rights issues worldwide in a politically conservative view, and now appeals to a somewhat wider audience. It sometimes also publishes articles accusing overseas Chinese personalities and media of alleged pro-CPC or anti-Falun Gong bias. The English edition represents itself as a general-interest newspaper that, although it maintains a large amount of China-related content, offers 12 other sections, including travel, science, sports, and regional and international news.

The paper is unique in giving a large amount of attention to Falun Gong's campaigns, particularly their attempt to sue former Chinese President Jiang Zemin under civil legislation for genocide. However the case failed to attract major media attention outside of the newspaper, and later the paper's stance shifted from being anti-Jiang Zemin to anti-CPC. A large number of practitioners were also instrumental in the paper's founding and continue to be in its current operations. Because of this, the paper has over the years been accused by the Chinese government and its supporters of being primarily a propaganda mouthpiece of Falun Gong. The newspaper and Falun Gong practitioners dispute this, saying that such covert operations are unnecessary considering Falun Gong already has publications to represent itself openly, and that some practitioners promote the paper because of its coverage of their cause, not because they ideologically support it. However according to tax records from the Wall Street Journal, the chairman of the paper's board, Kangang Xu, is a top Falun Gong spokesperson. The paper's Chinese editions tend to carry a large number of articles promoting heavily edited traditional Chinese mythology and Biblical stories, not just Falun Gong doctrines, in a way that reinforces the paper's stance against the CPC.

According to the paper, its goal in reporting is to accurately inform its readers about events in China, particularly those stories that remain censored. For example, it was one of the first newspapers to carry in-depth coverage of SARS, well before the Chinese government publicly admitted that there was an epidemic that went on to cause some 350 deaths. The paper also counters what it considers to be pro-CPC propaganda through its own opinion pieces. Its various editions worldwide all tend to show a marked pro-United States undertone, and in particular it is supportive of the Bush administration's conservative policies, the global War on Terrorism and the Iraq War.

Criticism

In the overseas Chinese community, where The Epoch Times is widely distributed, reactions are mixed. Some commend it for providing alternative views on China and its Communist government, in particular on topics which the Chinese Communist Party would presumably censor. Others criticize the paper, accusing it of having lax journalistic standards, an exaggerated tone, making false stories, and of pro-Falun Gong bias.

One of the biggest criticisms of The Epoch Times is that its tone towards the Chinese government is too negative, and is dismissive of positive developments such as economic growth. Although a concentration of these negative articles may be published in The Epoch Times, they are not exclusive and many of these reports can also be found in neutral overseas Chinese newspapers. It has been characterized as improperly blending news and commentary and using tabloid practices; some do not consider it to be a serious publication.

In defense of its editorial policy, The Epoch Times says that it is necessary to provide alternate views on news, that pro-CPC articles and interpretations need not be reported, as they are not subject to censorship by China's state-owned media, and can be found in most major Chinese newspapers. They do not see Chinese state-controlled media as legitimate media, but rather as propaganda tools at the hands of the ruling Communist Party. In response to accusations of anti-China bias, the paper says that it's anti-communist, but not anti-Chinese, and that the CPC does not represent China due to lack of democracy.

The Epoch Times is very vocal in supporting dissidents, Falun Gong practitioners, pro-independence Taiwanese, American conservatives, and all other traditional opponents of the CPC; their opinions can often be seen in the opinion page. The paper rarely publishes letters and opinions that would be considered pro-Communist or anti-Falun Gong, which the paper deems unnecessary. Posts in its Chinese language online forum are also subject to 'content review' before being posted. The paper argues that most, if not all, government-sponsored Chinese news sources already contain opinions in agreement with Chinese governmental policies, and that it is simply providing a service to the reader.

The Epoch Times has recently run into trouble with press laws in places outside of mainland China with large Chinese populations, such as Singapore, and Malaysia, with the paper's printers facing closure. The newspaper says these actions violate freedom of information, and that the respective governments are pressured by the CPC to do so.

In Hong Kong, The Epoch Times' has also been distributed for free at several spots, including the train stations. In October 2003, The times was accused of distributing the paper to travelers who, without the knowledge of the paper, brought it to China. Travelers, including housewives and retired citizens, were detained by China Custom for several hours, some of them had to cancel air tickets and original trip.

The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party

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" (simplified Chinese: 九评共产党; traditional Chinese: 九評共產黨; pinyin: Jǐupíng Gòngchǎn dǎng), which won the “Asian American Issues - Online”National Journalism Award at the 2005 Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention held in August 2005. The editorials give an alternate exposé of the CPC 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. It is written in the style of 'Nine Commentaries on the Soviet Communist Party', a 1963 Chinese publication, attacking Nikita Khrushchev. Portions of the history given by the Commentaries are allegedly difficult to support using traditionally respected history texts of 20th century China, which supporters of the "Commentaries" attribute to the CPC's need for control and tendency to try to cover up its more damaging actions. According to them, this results in a wealth of information that is often hard to come by and difficult to report on. It is unclear how Epoch Times obtains some of this information, as it lacks any footnotes or references of sources. The prevailing tone of the editorials is staunchly anti-communist with no consideration given to other viewpoints, and considered by some to be anti-communist propaganda. This attitude is attributed to the assumption that the intended Chinese audience who already knows the other side of the story need not be reminded of it.

The "Commentaries" were subsequently rendered into other languages. Readers of the English version often find the "Commentaries" to be rather one-sided and contain language that is overblown and unbelievable, making them difficult to take seriously. Much of this may be the result of a more literal translation from the original Chinese text. The editorial often uses unusual phrases to describe the CPC, calling it 'an Anti-Universe Force', 'an evil spirit from the West', and that the Chinese Communist Party is the 'red dragon' mentioned in the book of Revelations of the Bible. Such phrases are similar to the ones used by the CPC to outlaw Falun Gong, such as denouncing each other as 'evil cults'. The tone is said to be geared towards the communication style to which mainland Chinese readers, mostly who grew up during the Cultural Revolution would be accustomed to. It is also said that such readers have usually been exposed to years of government propaganda, rarely gaining access to alternative information about their government, although it is not circulated in mainland China itself. While praised by some Chinese dissidents as having an adverse effect on the political control of the CPC, its contents are controversial and disputed by others who call it historical revisionism and Falun Gong propaganda. Because such text is banned in China, the paper often sends unsolicited copies to spread their message inside mainland China.

In December 2005, the author of the "Nine Commentaries" was identified as Zheng Peichun, a Chinese dissident, who was arrested on the charge of crimes against the state and was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. The paper has published a follow-up to the Nine Commentaries, The Real Story of Jiang Zemin.

CPC Renunciations and Controversy

The Epoch Times claims that the publication of the "Commentaries" and its subsequent call to CPC members to "erase the beastly brand" has caused more than 10.4 million CPC members to resign. The Epoch Times obtains this number by tallying renunciation statements submitted to them via internet, fax, email, or telephone. This methodology is not scientific and widely disputed, and may not reflect the actual number of CPC resignations within China since anyone regardless of Chinese citizenship or CPC membership could submit their name and be counted as a person who has claimed to have renounced their CPC membership. Submissions include anonymous and unverifiable online signatures, duplicate signatures, and public declarations for people inside mainland China unable to access the online website due to censorship. The count also includes any renunciations of past or current association with any CPC-affiliated organization. At their Chinese language renunciation website , it was stated that "the evils of the Communist Cult will be punished by God at Judgment Day", "The CPC will be destroyed in 2005", and called on members of the CPC to burn Communist memorabilia. These renunciations are not recognized as valid and official by the CPC, as they are not conducted through the proper channels via the party.

The Epoch Times has also reported severe unrest in China as a direct result of the publication of the "Commentaries", but no major news outlet has verified the paper's claims concerning the effects of the "Commentaries". The Epoch Times has been accused by some of wanting to overthrow the Chinese government without any guiding political philosophy. Regardless, the commentaries have had no discernible effect on Chinese politics, and no CPC official in either the central or regional governments is known to have resigned on account of the "Commentaries".

References

Susan V. Lawrence, Falun Gong Adds Media Weapons In Struggle With China's Rulers - Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Apr 14, 2004. pg. B.2I

External links

Categories:

Revision as of 10:43, 4 June 2006 view sourcePatCheng (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users3,062 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit		Revision as of 21:39, 4 June 2006 view source YINever (talk \| contribs)131 edits non-npovNext edit →
Line 1:		Line 1:
	, organized by various associations including ]. ], Place d'Italie, February 26, 2006, near noon. The ''Epoch Times'' is cited by the protesters.]]		, organized by various associations including ]. ], Place d'Italie, February 26, 2006, near noon. The ''Epoch Times'' is cited by the protesters.]]
	'''''The Epoch Times''''' (]: 大纪元; ]: 大紀元; ]: Dàjìyuán) is a Falun Gong-linked ~~, politically anti-Communist~~ ] ] distributed free-of-charge in roughly 30 countries worldwide and translated in more than ten languages. The newspaper claims to have a special strength in its coverage of China and ] issues, and frequently contains articles with strongly opinionated views on the ], mainland Chinese society, and groups against the CPC, especially ]. While the paper claims an independent stance, it has been criticized as being biased.		'''''The Epoch Times''''' (]: 大纪元; ]: 大紀元; ]: Dàjìyuán) is a Falun Gong-linked ] ] distributed free-of-charge in roughly 30 countries worldwide and translated in more than ten languages. The newspaper claims to have a special strength in its coverage of China and ] issues, and frequently contains articles with strongly opinionated views on the ], mainland Chinese society, and groups against the CPC, especially ]. While the paper claims an independent stance, it has been criticized as being biased.

	==History==		==History==
Line 23:		Line 23:

	==Criticism==		==Criticism==
	In the overseas Chinese community, where ''The Epoch Times'' is widely distributed, reactions are mixed. Some commend it for providing alternative views on China and its Communist government, in particular on topics which the Chinese Communist Party would presumably censor. Others criticize the paper, accusing it of having lax journalistic standards, an exaggerated tone, making false stories, of pro-Falun Gong bias~~, and unclear financial background~~.		In the overseas Chinese community, where ''The Epoch Times'' is widely distributed, reactions are mixed. Some commend it for providing alternative views on China and its Communist government, in particular on topics which the Chinese Communist Party would presumably censor. Others criticize the paper, accusing it of having lax journalistic standards, an exaggerated tone, making false stories, and of pro-Falun Gong bias.

	One of the biggest criticisms of ''The Epoch Times'' is that its tone towards the Chinese government is ~~overtly~~ negative, and ~~commentaries that select and interpret facts in an anti-Communist view. It~~ is dismissive of positive developments ~~in mainland China~~ such as economic growth. Although a concentration of these negative articles may be published in The Epoch Times, they are not exclusive and many of these reports can also be found in neutral overseas Chinese newspapers~~, but in less agressive tones~~. It has been characterized as improperly blending news and commentary and using tabloid practices ~~such~~ as ~~exaggerated or aggressive headlines; some~~ consider it to be ~~an opinion journal rather than~~ a serious publication ~~following established ]~~.		One of the biggest criticisms of ''The Epoch Times'' is that its tone towards the Chinese government is too negative, and is dismissive of positive developments such as economic growth. Although a concentration of these negative articles may be published in The Epoch Times, they are not exclusive and many of these reports can also be found in neutral overseas Chinese newspapers. It has been characterized as improperly blending news and commentary and using tabloid practices; some do not consider it to be a serious publication.

	In defense of its editorial policy, ''The Epoch Times'' says that it is necessary to provide alternate views on news, that pro-CPC articles and interpretations need not be reported, as they are not subject to censorship by China's state-owned media, and can be found in most major Chinese newspapers. They do not see Chinese state-controlled media as legitimate media, but rather as propaganda tools at the hands of the ruling Communist Party. In response to accusations of anti-China bias, the paper says that it's anti-communist, but not anti-Chinese, and that the CPC does not represent China due to lack of democracy.		In defense of its editorial policy, ''The Epoch Times'' says that it is necessary to provide alternate views on news, that pro-CPC articles and interpretations need not be reported, as they are not subject to censorship by China's state-owned media, and can be found in most major Chinese newspapers. They do not see Chinese state-controlled media as legitimate media, but rather as propaganda tools at the hands of the ruling Communist Party. In response to accusations of anti-China bias, the paper says that it's anti-communist, but not anti-Chinese, and that the CPC does not represent China due to lack of democracy.
Line 36:		Line 36:

	==The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party==		==The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party==
	In ] ], 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-stp\|s=九评共产党\|t=九評共產黨\|p=Jǐupíng Gòngchǎn dǎng}}), which won the “Asian American Issues - Online”''National Journalism Award'' at the 2005 ] (AAJA) convention held in ] ]. The editorials give an alternate exposé of the CPC through its history, from its ascent to power under ] to its present-day form, as well as a condemnation of ] in all of its forms. It is written in the ~~propagandistic~~ style of 'Nine Commentaries on the Soviet Communist Party', a ] Chinese publication, attacking ]. Portions of the history given by the Commentaries are allegedly difficult to support using traditionally respected history texts of ] China, which supporters of the "Commentaries" attribute to the CPC's need for control and tendency to try to cover up its more damaging actions. According to them, this results in a wealth of information that is often hard to come by and difficult to report on. It is unclear how ''Epoch Times'' obtains some of this information, as it lacks any footnotes or references of sources. The prevailing tone of the editorials is staunchly anti-communist with no consideration given to other viewpoints, and considered by some to be anti-communist propaganda. This attitude is attributed to the assumption that the intended Chinese audience who already knows the other side of the story need not be reminded of it.		In ] ], 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-stp\|s=九评共产党\|t=九評共產黨\|p=Jǐupíng Gòngchǎn dǎng}}), which won the “Asian American Issues - Online”''National Journalism Award'' at the 2005 ] (AAJA) convention held in ] ]. The editorials give an alternate exposé of the CPC through its history, from its ascent to power under ] to its present-day form, as well as a condemnation of ] in all of its forms. It is written in the style of 'Nine Commentaries on the Soviet Communist Party', a ] Chinese publication, attacking ]. Portions of the history given by the Commentaries are allegedly difficult to support using traditionally respected history texts of ] China, which supporters of the "Commentaries" attribute to the CPC's need for control and tendency to try to cover up its more damaging actions. According to them, this results in a wealth of information that is often hard to come by and difficult to report on. It is unclear how ''Epoch Times'' obtains some of this information, as it lacks any footnotes or references of sources. The prevailing tone of the editorials is staunchly anti-communist with no consideration given to other viewpoints, and considered by some to be anti-communist propaganda. This attitude is attributed to the assumption that the intended Chinese audience who already knows the other side of the story need not be reminded of it.

	The "Commentaries" were subsequently rendered into other languages. Readers of the English version often find the "Commentaries" to be rather one-sided and contain language that is overblown and unbelievable, making them difficult to take seriously. Much of this may be the result of a more literal translation from the original Chinese text. The editorial often uses unusual phrases to describe the CPC, calling it 'an Anti-Universe Force', 'an evil spirit from the West', and that the Chinese Communist Party is the 'red dragon' mentioned in the book of ] of the Bible. Such phrases are similar to the ones used by the CPC to outlaw Falun Gong, such as denouncing each other as 'evil cults'. The tone is said to be geared towards the communication style to which mainland Chinese readers, mostly who grew up during the ] would be accustomed to. It is also said that such readers have usually been exposed to years of government propaganda, rarely gaining access to alternative information about their government, although it is not circulated in mainland China itself. While praised by some Chinese dissidents as having an adverse effect on the political control of the CPC, its contents are controversial and disputed by others who call it historical revisionism and Falun Gong propaganda. Because such text is banned in China, the paper often sends unsolicited copies ~~and junk mail~~ to spread their message inside mainland China.		The "Commentaries" were subsequently rendered into other languages. Readers of the English version often find the "Commentaries" to be rather one-sided and contain language that is overblown and unbelievable, making them difficult to take seriously. Much of this may be the result of a more literal translation from the original Chinese text. The editorial often uses unusual phrases to describe the CPC, calling it 'an Anti-Universe Force', 'an evil spirit from the West', and that the Chinese Communist Party is the 'red dragon' mentioned in the book of ] of the Bible. Such phrases are similar to the ones used by the CPC to outlaw Falun Gong, such as denouncing each other as 'evil cults'. The tone is said to be geared towards the communication style to which mainland Chinese readers, mostly who grew up during the ] would be accustomed to. It is also said that such readers have usually been exposed to years of government propaganda, rarely gaining access to alternative information about their government, although it is not circulated in mainland China itself. While praised by some Chinese dissidents as having an adverse effect on the political control of the CPC, its contents are controversial and disputed by others who call it historical revisionism and Falun Gong propaganda. Because such text is banned in China, the paper often sends unsolicited copies to spread their message inside mainland China.

	In December 2005, the author of the "Nine Commentaries" was identified as Zheng Peichun, a Chinese dissident, who was arrested on the charge of crimes against the state and was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. The paper has published a follow-up to the ''Nine Commentaries'', ''''.		In December 2005, the author of the "Nine Commentaries" was identified as Zheng Peichun, a Chinese dissident, who was arrested on the charge of crimes against the state and was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. The paper has published a follow-up to the ''Nine Commentaries'', ''''.