On April 22, the American religious media "Baptist Global News Network" (Baptistnews.com) published an article by Rodney Kennedy, a New York pastor and writer, exposing how the "Falungong" cult and its "Epoch Times" and "Shen Yun Art Troupe" fabricated and spread all kinds of rumors. At the same time, the article compares "Falungong" with the "evangelicals" in American politics, pointing out that both are supporters of Trump and are absurd right-wing organizations.
A billboard for The Epoch Times. The original article is illustrated
Billboards sprung up with the words, "The Epoch Times, the number one trusted news secondary." ”
The problem is that there isn't a shred of data to back up this exaggerated claim, and no review agency has named The Epoch Times "the most trustworthy news second-to-none."
In reality, The Epoch Times is rife with disinformation, partisan politics, and lies. Behind it is a media company under the "Falungong" cult.
What do The Epoch Times, Falun Gong and Shen Yun Art Troupe have in common?
Epoch Media Group is a media company that owns New Tang Dynasty Television, in addition to newspapers and news websites.
The Epoch Times was founded in Georgia by "Falungong" member John Tang, who is currently the president of "New Tang Dynasty."
The Epoch Times launched a print version in Chinese in New York in April 2000, followed by an online version in Chinese in August, an online version in English in 2003, and a print version in English in 2004, and has a large anti-vaccine and far-right following.
The Epoch Times is anti-China and anti-communist, supporting far-right politicians in Europe and former US President Donald Trump. A 2019 report by NBC News showed that the newspaper was the second-largest funder of pro-Trump Facebook ads, after the Trump campaign itself.
The Epoch Times' development is proportional to the ads it runs for the Trump campaign, and its articles feature a series of pro-Trump conspiracy theories.
An article on conspiracy theories about the U.S. Capitol riot on the Epoch Times website. The original article is illustrated
During the Trump administration, the newspaper's revenue surged from US$3.9 million (about 28.26 million yuan) to US$15.5 million (about 112 million yuan). In response to the "Make America Great Again" campaign (Trump's 2016 campaign slogan), The Epoch Times marketed primarily through targeted social media ads, primarily spreading pro-Trump messages on Facebook.
For example, the newspaper spread Trump's "Spygate" conspiracy theory. The so-called "spygate" is Trump's claim that former President Barack Obama planted a spy to spy on Trump's presidential campaign. The often-pinned "Spygate Special Coverage" section on The Epoch Times' website concocted a years-long conspiracy theory that claimed that former U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Clinton's former staffers, several magazines and newspapers, private investigators and government bureaucrats had hatched plans to dethrone Mr. Trump.
The Epoch Times also managed to include dubious claims about Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine and his father's involvement in them in a Wikipedia article about Hunter Biden (son of US President Joe Biden). The Epoch Times has consistently disapproved of the 2020 election results and promoted pro-Trump rallies that led to the riot at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021. The newspaper is also a die-hard advocate of the anti-COVID vaccine campaign.
The Epoch Times looks like a newspaper and operates like a newspaper, but the newspaper has no regard for news, facts, or truth.
There are disturbing associations with American "evangelicals".
Behind the scenes, the operation of The Epoch Times is closely related to "Falungong," a cult organization whose goal is to overthrow the Chinese government. Founded by Li Hongzhi, "Falungong" is headquartered in a 427-acre (1.73 square kilometers) compound called Dragon Springs in Deer Park, New York. According to four former residents of the compound and former "Falungong" practitioners, the compound contains a temple and a private school and dormitory for the actors of the "Falungong" "Shen Yun Art Troupe" to live and rehearse. Li Hongzhi and hundreds of his students live in Longquan Temple.
Li Hongzhi, leader of the "Falungong" cult. The original article is illustrated
Former "Falungong" practitioners told the NBC news channel that believers believe that the end of the world is approaching, and those who sympathize with the "Falungong" group will be spared, otherwise they will be sent to hell.
Trump is regarded by "Falungong" and Li Hongzhi as a key ally in the anti-communist struggle.
Li Hongzhi opposes homosexuality, gender equality, and pop music, and at the same time boasts to his followers that he is a "god-man" who can levitate in the air and can pass through walls, saying that illness is an evil symptom ("karma") that can only be truly cured through meditation and worshipping "Falungong", and that aliens from unknown dimensions have invaded the minds and bodies of human beings, bringing corruption and inventions like computers and airplanes.
Li Hongzhi's teachings describe the paranormal, suggesting that the pyramids may have been built by humanoids or Atlanteans living on the ocean floor.
In his book "The Religion of Falun Gong," Benjamin Penny said that Li Hongzhi, the founder of the "Falungong" deification, believed that he was far superior to mankind and would save mankind from disaster. He demanded that "Falungong" practitioners scrupulously abide by his teachings and so-called moral principles, otherwise their cultivation would not achieve their goals. He asked the trainees to engage in a series of spiritual practices on a regular basis, to gather together to read his "scriptures" and share their insights.