An Australian scholar who has been following the issue closely says the newspaper’s bias reflects its long-standing historical prejudice.
Since August 2024, The New York Times has published nine articles attacking Shen Yun Performing Arts and disparaging the Falun Gong spiritual practice. The articles blatantly distort key facts, in particular by ignoring the crimes committed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against Falun Gong practitioners and the Chinese people. Feng Chongyi, an Australian scholar who has been following the issue closely, says that the newspaper’s bias reflects its pro-CCP stance and its long-standing historical prejudice.
Undermining the Principle of Religious Freedom
Feng Chongyi, associate professor of China Studies at the University of Technology in Sydney, told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that while freedom of speech and of the press are central to democratic societies, they must be balanced against respect for religious and spiritual freedom.
In response to the articles in The New York Times, he said that honoring the religious beliefs of others is a fundamental principle that reinforces democratic values.
The New York Times has based its broad accusations on the claims of a small group of disgruntled individuals, without providing evidence or disclosing their clear conflicts of interest. The newspaper portrays Shen Yun Performing Arts as an abusive organization, its success as exploitative, and Falun Gong followers as deceived. Those false claims were addressed in a series of articles published by The Epoch Times as well as by the Falun Dafa Information Center in an article titled “12 Things to Know About The New York Times’ ‘Investigation’ of Shen Yun and Falun Gong.”
Feng said that The New York Times ignores fundamental journalistic principles and relies on sweeping generalizations in its articles.
“The New York Times crosses a line with its attack on Falun Gong practitioners. It undermines the principles of religious freedom and belief. This is both unacceptable and a violation of professional ethics,” he said.
By Luo Ya and Haizhong Ning
