If New Epoch is still in your Tesco……

Posted on July 17, 2009 by dialogueireland

We reported that Tesco had taken the New Epoch Newspaper out of their stores. But I was in the Drumcondra Tesco this morning and it is still there.

Please leave a comment to tell us if you are still seeing it in your Tesco. You can also write to Lorriane Sheils from Tesco to let her know.

lorraine.shiels@tesco.ie

Filed under: Falun Gong | 1 Comment »

Tesco clarifies relationship to New Epoch Newspaper

Posted on July 16, 2009 by dialogueireland

Dialogue Ireland had brought to the attention of Tesco that the New Epoch newspaper generally associated with Falun Gong was being given out free in some of their supermarkets. This would give them an unfair advantage over other religious, or alternative philosophically based publishers. The quality of the reports is not in doubt and the background to events in China avoid the usual uncritical view of the political system.

I’ve had a talk with our Commercial buyer about the Epoch Times.

This newspaper is not listed as a saleable newspaper with us so we don’t charge for it. As such, it should not be in any of our stores as we don’t stock free newspapers (apart from one or two such as the Gazette Group where we have existing long term agreements).

Since it should not be in stores, we have issued a request to stores who may have stocks in their porches to remove it and not stock it any more as it contravenes our newspaper policy.

Regards,

Lorraine

Lorraine Shiels

Communications Executive

Corporate Affairs Department

Tesco Ireland

Filed under: Falun Gong | 2 Comments »

Falun Gong and the Chinese Government looking in the mirror?

Posted on June 25, 2009 by dialogueireland

The news about Falun Gong is not what it used to be, but the Chinese state regards it to be an evil cult.

Equally Falun Gong regards the Chinese state as an evil cult. The Epoch Times though it claims to be

independent is regarded as an instrument of the Falun Gong views.

Below we have some articles and web sites to explore:

Independent assessments

“Dr. Liu Kang, professor of Chinese Cultural Studies at Duke University and Associate Director of the Chinese Populations and Socioeconomic Studies Center, was one of the critics who said in 2006 that the paper did not adhere to basic journalistic standards of professionalism and objectivity, and is “not viewed as an independent objective news media” by mainland Chinese. Liu said the journal’s credibility as media professionals has been damaged by Wang Wenyi while she was calling, out of line, on president Hu Jintao at his visit at the White House to stop the killings.^[11] In the view of James Bettinger, a professor of Communications at Stanford University and the director of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships, if The Epoch Times writing about Falun Gong is consistently in the same perspective, without any articles examining Falun Gong, “people would perceive it as being not credible”.

Orville Schell, dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, said in 2005 that “It’s hard to vouch for their quality because it’s difficult to corroborate, but it’s not something to be dismissed as pure propaganda.”

Arthur Waldron, a China scholar and Lauder Professor of International Relations in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania, described The Epoch Times as a “striking” example of media attempting to break through China’s Golden Shield Project, and believes it is obvious that “its reports are drawn from a network of correspondents inside China, a network that the authorities have not been able to destroy.” He recommended those who want to get a sense of what is really going on in China should “pay at least as much attention to The Epoch Times as they do to the People’s Daily.” –See wikipedia article below