Falun Gong's Presence in the United States Media

You’ve probably seen Shen Yun posters before. The slogan: “China Before Communism” (even though Chinese people still dance). Shen Yun is a touring dance troupe that performs a wildly popular show of the same name in the United States and worldwide, and it is run by the Falun Gong. The show itself is filled with religious and political messaging; at one point, a tsunami with the face of Karl Marx (Tolentino) obliterates a city, a clear indictment of China's communist regime.

Shen Yun's website (“Discover the Heart of Shen Yun - Shen Yun Performing Arts") also reflects this political messaging, explicitly stating that "Falun Gong practitioners in China have faced brutal persecution," and that Shen Yun, founded by said practitioners, "is giving voice to their stories." The same page also lists attacks from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against Shen Yun, such as newspaper slander, bomb threats, and manipulation within the press and media. The website does not cite sources. 

Many of the dancers in Shen Yun are trained at Dragon Springs, which is Falun Gong’s headquarters in upstate New York. The founder Li Hongzhi also lives there.

Falun Gong also owns a major publication called The Epoch Times.

On The Epoch Times's "About Us" page (“About Us - the Epoch Times"), the newspaper describes itself as "an independent media organization dedicated to delivering value-driven journalism that informs, inspires, and provides clarity." Like with Shen Yun's website, it also mentions persecution at the hands of the Chinese government, stating that the goal of the publication is to "uncover and share the truth amid a human rights catastrophe in communist China." Thus, similarly to Shen Yun, The Epoch Times also opposes the CCP.

The Epoch Times has also, among other things, historically promoted far-right conspiracy theories such as QAnon and the Great Replacement (Nguyen). According to an article by Thuy Nguyen, The Epoch Times "strategically attracts" Asian-American communities into far-right extremism by "bundling" progressive causes (such as Black Lives Matter, Democrats, and mainstream media) together with a central antagonist, the CCP. In this manner, the newspaper mobilizes and radicalizes right-wing Asian Americans against the common enemy of the Chinese government.

Also on the "About Us" page, The Epoch Times claims that it is an independent news organization, despite having been founded by Falun Gong followers; according to The Epoch Times, the newspaper "does not—and indeed could not—speak on behalf of Falun Gong or the followers of the spiritual practice" ("About Us - the Epoch Times"). Despite this claim, the newspaper actively promotes Falun Gong and Falun Gong-affiliated media. On the front page (“The Epoch Times - Breaking News, Independent China News") of the website, a Shen Yun promotional column is prominently displayed on the side; under it, another column showcases articles written by Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi.

Both Shen Yun and The Epoch Times are channels in which Falun Gong spreads anti-CCP rhetoric. What is the incentive to do so?

• Retaliatory response to CCP repression of Falun Gong

• Citing the right of religious freedom from CCP persecution may allow Falun Gong to gain more legitimacy as a new religious movement, rather than being seen as a "cult"

• Political and monetary gain: anti-China people in the West, especially politicians, will sympathize and support Falun Gong

• Falun Gong can use anti-CCP rhetoric to defend itself from unsavory allegations, dismissing criticism as “fake CCP propaganda”

To see an example of that last point, view Elaine's primary source analysis on the Primary Source page, where she examines The Epoch Times's published response to The New York Times's allegations that Shen Yun abuses underage dancers. 

The Falun Gong movement has spread rapidly across the globe, and a large reason for this is due to their ability to control the media narrative. This includes controlling most of the media regarding the movement within the U.S. They are able to control the narrative through strategically issuing press releases, staging headline-generating events, and maintaining a strong internet presence. They also have been known to file lawsuits against anyone publishing publishing bad media content about their movement. 

Additionally, the U.S. gets most of its information about the Falun Gong movement from the Rachlin Media Group, which is the official public relations firm for the movement. This helps the Falun Gong movement further control the narrative, because they are often the largest source of information. A large component of this rhetoric includes Falun Gong portraying themselves as victims of oppression from the People's Republic of China to Western press. While they have faced oppression, members of Falun Gong have repeatedly been adament about not wanting to be portrayed in this light, as victims of oppression. However, they choose to portray themselves with this narrative in the Western media to garner support from China's political opponents. This is an example of their ability to effectively control the media narrative. 

Due to their ability to effectively control the media narrative, especially within Western media, they have received support for their movement, relative to other new religious movements. This is likely also due to their rhetoric matching U.S. political agendas. The Falun Gong movement often uses anti-China and anti-Communist rhetoric as part of their movement, which aligns closely with much of U.S. political sentiment. Due to this, Falun Gong at times have recieved support and recognition within the U.S. which you can find more on below. 

To learn more about Falun Gong's ability to control the media narrative, please visit our bibliography for the article titled "Falun Gong in the media: What can we believe?." Or you can visit our Primary Source Analysis page and find a more in depth discussion of Falun Gong's strategic use of the media.