In Brief

The original Chinese edition Epoch Times was first established to present events unfolding in China that were largely unreported at the time. Because of China’s strict media censorship, news of events that are not perceived to be good for the image of China or its leaders is very often blocked from reaching the outside world. News that is ”approved” for international presentation is often adjusted to better reflect the image of China’s communist regime.

The Epoch Times original goal was to break through this media blockade, by reporting on events in an unaltered and factual manner - events that would in many instances remain unreported. Primary focus at the initial stage was on human rights abuses and other unrest within China, then as readership increased, the paper expanded to include other world news and international affairs and has quickly grown into the world’s most widely distributed newspaper network. Bringing together 59 newspapers spanning 28 countries and 10 languages The Epoch Times has now become a specialist in world news and international affairs.

Setting the Scene

Nine years ago the then-leader of the Chinese communist regime let his personal jealousy control a decision to order the eradication of the self-improvement practice of Falun Gong and the 100 million people who studied it. In doing so, he violated China’s own constitution simply because the popularity of the practice exceeded that of his political party.

Peaceful appeals to the authorities were then followed with widespread cases of arrests, torture and murder by a specially created Gestapo-like agency called the 6-10 Office.

In 2000, Amnesty International documented the Chinese regime’s use of a “massive propaganda campaign” to demonise Falun Gong, utilising tactics bearing a sickening resemblance to the attacks against Jewish people in the work of Goebels during the Nazi era. Combining this with the greater magnitude of modern technology, all forms of media were engaged in a persecution far more comprehensive than history has ever accounted for.

The regime blocked websites, television, radio and all media relating to the facts of the persecution and utilising business ties and political pressure, it has largely kept the real situation out of the western mainstream media, while at the same time saturating Chinese media with anti-Falun Gong disinformation.

Commercial and political interests and/or sheer naivety then saw this campaign translated across the expanse of the world’s media, leaving the global community confused, while the true state of affairs remained unvoiced.

This was the setting for a new media – independent of any such commercial or political influence – to be founded.

Launch

Inspired to set the record straight, a small group of Falun Gong practitioners established in the basement of an Atlanta home what was to become the world’s most widely distributed network of newspapers.

The first newspaper rolled off the press in New York in May 2000, with the web launch in August of the same year. Local editions published by regional bureaus soon followed, making it the largest of any Chinese-language newspaper outside of Mainland China and Taiwan.

The newspaper became the first to expose the SARS cover up, the illicit organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners, the network of thousands of Chinese spies on international soil, among others and continues to feed news from within China’s walls to the rest of the world with the furtive support of reporters who risk their lives in doing so.

To this day, the original Chinese-language edition continues to try to meet the overwhelming demand.

Growth

As the world’s people observe the troubled giant from afar, The Epoch Times soon became a dedicated source of information from behind the bamboo curtain for more than just Chinese expatriates around the world.

With the Chinese-language paper so well supported it was a natural progression to see a similar format and ideals blueprinted into other language editions around the world using the same formula of honest, important journalism to achieve a similar success.

The English edition of The Epoch Times launched in September 2003 on the web, and in August 2004 as a newspaper in New York. The rest of the world followed exponentially.

Outside of the Chinese language the paper meets a growing need for news reported and published independently, uncovering stories that have depth and meaning to people. In English, as well as in other languages, it serves a broad, international readership.

Since its inception, the paper has now spread to print in 28 countries and 10 languages with 1.5 million copies circulating every week.

Each language edition is customised to the local market, yet the same founding ideals can be found in every edition. As a result, the papers were strongly dominated by true accounts of the persecution of Falun Gong and other human rights stories from China and around the world.

New Chapter

With the implementation of a new micro-media model - global news with local interactive platforms and input, The Epoch Times has matured in its focus and shifted from a largely Chinese flavour to better utilising the strength of our network of 59 newspapers around the world to deliver a specialty of world news and international affairs.

This new model is the first of its kind for the company as it sets a new precedent with mass circulation within a single city, while drawing upon the best of all editions around the world.

The Epoch Times Australia is now a concentrated selection of news, as shaped by the local community. Through ongoing interaction, we look forward to building a solid relationship with the Australian community and are grateful for their support received to date – without which we would not have the opportunity to provide such an enjoyed service.