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Revision as of 05:04, 12 September 2005 by Wiki Wikardo (talk | contribs) ('It's...!' )(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Epoch Times (Simplified Chinese: 大纪元; Traditional Chinese: 大紀元; Pinyin: Dàjìyuán) is an independent Chinese newspaper which is freely distributed in eight additional languages and in roughly 30 countries. It is noted for its coverage of events and changes in China.
History
The Epoch Times was founded by a small circle of journalists in China in 2000. The journalists relayed stories overseas of human rights abuses, infringements on civil liberties, and alleged corruption in the Communist Party of China (CCP), among other things.
Despite crackdowns by authorities inside China, The Epoch Times continued to expand operations overseas and has since become one of the more widely distributed Chinese newspapers serving the Chinese diaspora. It now has a weekly print distribution of over 1 million copies worldwide.
In August 2004, an English-language edition of The Epoch Times was launched in Manhattan. Currently, it is distributed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, Houston, Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, Regina and Ottawa, as well as in the UK and Australia. German and French editions were launched in late 2004, and more recently Russian, Spanish and Japanese editions have started up in print.
It claims to be the only major Chinese-language newspaper outside of Taiwan that is not directly or indirectly influenced by the Chinese Communist Party.
Focus
The Epoch Times originally targeted Chinese readers living abroad and reported on the alleged persecutions, abuses, and inner workings of the CCP. Its reports on China are highly critical. It has since grown to report on civil rights issues worldwide in a conservative view, and now appeals to a somewhat wider audience. 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 featuring articles from major wire services.
The paper is unique in giving attention to Falun Gong's campaigns, particularly their attempt to sue former Chinese Premier Jiang Zemin under international legislation.
The paper's goal with regard to its China coverage is to accurately inform its readers about events in China, particularly those stories that remain censored in China. 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.
Criticism
In the Chinese community, where The Epoch Times is widely distributed, most Chinese commend it for providing alternative views into China and its Communist government, in particular on topics which the Chinese Communist Party would censor.
The Epoch Times claims that it is necessary to provide alternate views on news, that pro-CCP articles and pro-CCP interpretations need not be reported, as they are subject to censorship by China's state-owned media. They do not see Chinese state-controlled media as legitimate media, but rather as propaganda tools at the hands of the ruling Communist Party.
The Epoch Times is vocal in supporting dissidents, Falun Gong practitioners, pro-independence Taiwanese; their opinions can often be seen in the opinion page. The paper argues that most, if not all, government-censored Chinese news sources already contain opinions in agreement with Chinese governmental policies.
The Epoch Times has recently run into trouble with press laws in places outside of mainland China with large Chinese populations, Singapore, and Malaysia, with the paper's printers facing closure. The newspaper claims these actions violate freedom of information, and the respective governments are pressured by the CCP to do so.
Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party
In November 2004, the Chinese version of The Epoch Times published and heavily promoted a series of editorials entitled "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" (Jiuping in Chinese). The editorials 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 the moral and social philosophy of Communism. Portions of the history given by the Commentaries are difficult to support using traditionally respected history texts of 20th century China, which supporters of the Commentaries attribute to the CCP'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.
The "Commentaries" were subsequently rendered into other languages. The tone is said to be geared towards the communication style to which mainland Chinese readers would be accustomed, and it was said that such readers have usually been exposed to years of government propaganda, rarely gaining access to alternative information about their government, although that is not corrobated by actual readers from mainland China, as The Epoch Times is not widely circulated in China itself. The Jiuping is praised by Chinese dissidents as "the book that is disintergrating the CCP".
"The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" recently won the "Asian-American Issues - Online" National Journalism Award at the 2005 Asian-American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention held in August 2005.
The Epoch Times claims that the publication of the "Commentaries" and its subsequent call to CCP members to "erase the beastly brand" has caused over 4.2 million CCP members to resign. Submissions, online signatures and public declarations for people inside mainland China unable to access the online website due to censorship. The count actually includes any renunciations of past or current association with any CCP-affiliated organization. The Epoch Times reports of severe unrest in China as a direct result of the publication of the Commentaries.
External links
- The Epoch Times Website (English)
- The Epoch Times Website (Chinese)
- Text of "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party"