The Epoch Times

Epoch Times

Front page of Epoch Times New York edition for March 18, 2016
Type	International newspaper
Format	Broadsheet
Owner(s)	Epoch Media Group
Founder(s)	John Tang
Publisher	Epoch Media Group
Founded	2000
Political alignment	Anti-communist
Language	Multiple, mainly Chinese and English
Headquarters	New York City, U.S.
Circulation	1,314,375 (2012, unaudited)
Website	www.theepochtimes.com

Epoch Times is a multi-language newspaper headquartered in New York City. The company was founded in 2000 by John Tang and a group of Chinese-American Falun Gong practitioners. The newspaper covers general interest topics with a focus on news about China and human rights issues there. It draws from a network of sources inside China, as well as Chinese expatriates living in the West. The newspaper and its staffs have won over 10 media awards, including New York Press Association Awards for design excellence and National Ethnic Press & Media Council Awards for human rights coverage.

The newspaper has been described by some scholars as a mouthpiece for the Falun Gong, with sympathetic coverage towards it. A spokesperson for the newspaper says it does not speak for the practice. The newspaper maintains a generally anti-communist editorial stance, including explicit opposition to the Communist Party of China.

The Epoch Times is widely distributed in overseas Chinese communities, and has been publishing in Chinese since May 2000. It is either sold or distributed free-of-charge in 35 countries, including various intranational regional editions. It has editions in English, Chinese and nine other languages in print, as well as 21 different languages on the internet. Weekly print editions are also available. A typical issue includes sections for world and national news, opinion pieces, sports, entertainment, business, arts and culture, travel, health and automobiles.Epoch Times websites are blocked in mainland China, however people can access Epoch Times via the group's China VPN using anti-censorship software such as Ultrasurf or Freegate, tools built by Chinese expatriates to overcome the Golden Shield, or the Great Firewall of China.

China VPN operated by the Epoch Digital Network claims tens of millions of users in Mainland China.

Epoch Times was started in 2000 by John Tang and a group of Chinese Americans; the founders say they were responding to censorship inside China and a lack of understanding internationally about Chinese repression of the Falun Gong. In May 2000, the paper was first published in the Chinese language in New York, with the web launch in August 2000.

In 2003, Epoch Times website and Epoch Times group of newspapers had grown into one of the largest Chinese-language news websites and newspaper groups outside China in the past two years, with local editions in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and major Western European countries.