Freedom of the press and humanity are the foundation of The Epoch Times.

The Epoch Times was born out of a great need to provide uncensored news to a people immersed in propaganda and censorship in China. Having witnessed events like the Tiananmen Square massacre and the persecution of the spiritual group Falun Gong, and at great risk to themselves and their loved ones, a group of Chinese Americans started publishing The Epoch Times in the Chinese language in the United States.

When we launched in 2000, we had reporters and editors in China—they were soon arrested, and some suffered severe torture. To this day, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been relentless in its efforts to assault our operations and stop us from pursuing our mission—including by ransacking our offices, attacking our websites, and setting our printing press on fire in Hong Kong.

In English, our first edition launched online in 2003, followed by the first print edition in 2004. Our beginnings have instilled in Epoch Times staff an unwavering commitment to integrity, truthfulness in reporting, and respect for human rights and freedom.

The Epoch Times was founded by followers of Falun Gong from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The Epoch Times is an independent nonprofit organization and does not—indeed could not—speak on behalf of Falun Gong or the followers of the spiritual practice.

Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that emphasizes universal moral values such as truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Followers come from a variety of nationalities, backgrounds, and political persuasions.

As an independent media organization, The Epoch Times is free from the influence of any government, corporation, or political party. Our aim is not to force our perspective on you, but to give you the information you need to make up your own mind.

Our motto of Truth, Tradition, Hope is our guiding light. We highlight in our reporting the best of humanity, valuable lessons from history, and traditions that benefit society.

The Epoch Times has received numerous awards for our reporting and design, including from the New York Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Society for News Design.

Why do millions of people trust The Epoch Times to report the news truthfully and fairly? Our subscribers and followers tell us that our coverage is honest, brave, and uncompromising. We refuse to allow political or ideological bias to tarnish our reporting. That’s why The Epoch Times is the world’s fastest-growing, most dependable media company.

Our stories strive to reestablish truth and tradition as the essential pillars of authentic journalism. Telling the truth is what prompted a few Chinese Americans in an Atlanta basement to start up The Epoch Times.

We’ve grown into a well-respected institution while sticking to our roots, delivering you news and information that you're unlikely to see from our peers in the legacy media.

But beyond just reporting the news, our team is cultivating a return to positive balance and hope for the future. We envision a world where people are truly informed and free, and where the scourge of Marxist ideology has been eliminated. 

During the pandemic, we all experienced a multi-year lockdown of our basic liberties—including free speech.

Since our earliest days, we have been targeted by the CCP for our reporting on the regime’s crimes against humanity. Our reporters have been attacked, jailed, and defamed. Our Hong Kong press was set on fire in 2019, while beyond China’s borders, communist thugs have assaulted our staffers and vandalized our newsstands.

We continue to overcome routine censorship, deplatforming, and targeting by the legacy media and Big Tech.

Our 2004 editorial series “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party” inspired a grassroots movement for Chinese people to quit the CCP. To date, about 410 million have quit. Despite being banned in China, The Epoch Times is the premier news source for millions of Chinese who use VPNs to circumvent the Great Firewall.

Amid the CCP's constant violation of the rights of Chinese citizens, our dedication to the truth has earned us a network of underground informants in China who relay accurate information to us. In spite of the full force of the CCP apparatus working against us, The Epoch Times has become a multinational media company that spans 35 countries and 22 languages.

Every subscriber who joins us moves us along the road of freeing America from the snares of communism using its most potent adversary: truth. We are holding the line against destructive agendas that encroach upon your liberty, fighting for you and for future generations. Knowing that there are people like you out there, people who understand the value of free speech and a free press—is what keeps us going.

We don’t take marching orders from any government, corporate entity, or special interest—and we never will. We answer only to our readers—those people who yearn for freedom and who value our commitment to truth and tradition. We are proud to cover the issues that you care about most, every day—most importantly, we want you to know that you're not alone. We listen to our readers and present to them the kind of real discourse that can only be found in a free society. We believe you have the right to evaluate objective, nonpartisan reporting and then form your own opinions.

Our story is your story too, and we hope you’ll turn the page of the next chapter with us as we work together to restore truth and tradition.