Cultic Studies Journal, Volume 17, 2000, Page 110
The Falun Gong: Beyond the Headlines
Patsy Rahn
Los Angeles, California
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to look beyond the headlines of the past year
and to give an objective analysis of the Falun Gong. I will provide an
evaluation of the Western press coverage of the Falun Gong, an evaluation of
the potentially problematic areas of the Falun Gong as a teaching and an
organization, and an evaluation of the Chinese government‘s concerns. In
my conclusion, I suggest that there needs to be more independent
verification of information coming out of China and a broader coverage of the
topic. Regarding the Falun Gong I suggest that research needs to be done
on the group here in the United States, and if possible, independent research
done in China. I also suggest that there are a number of elements in the
Falun Gong as a teaching and an organization that we should be aware of
because they are potentially problematic. Regarding the Chinese
government‘s response, I suggest that it is important to go beyond the
simplistic terminology that ―Falun Gong is an evil cult‖ or that ―the Chinese
Government is an evil empire.‖
Falun Gong has been closely associated in the press with the issue of human rights in China.
While the topic of human rights is very important, it is not the focus of this paper. I would
like to emphasize, however, that my research and critical evaluation of the Falun Gong in no
way implies that I support human rights violations, which need to be addressed whenever
and wherever they occur. The goal of this paper is to increase understanding of the group
itself and of some of the issues surrounding it. I will first review the media information
concerning Falun Gong. Then I will examine problematical aspects of the group and, lastly,
the concerns of the Chinese government.
Media Information
Media information on the Falun Gong has generally come from four sources: the Chinese
government, the Western press in China, the Falun Gong itself, and the Information Center
on Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China.
The Chinese Government
Since the Chinese government banned the group in July of 1999, the government has put
on a major publicity campaign to discredit the group and to justify its actions Most people
in the West see the campaign as unnecessarily exaggerated and harsh, similar to political
campaigns waged during the Mao era or even the earlier imperial age. Information on the
Falun Gong from the Chinese government is therefore seen as propaganda and generally
dismissed in the West. It is rarely reported on in the Western media. Verification by
outside sources of the Chinese research on the Falun Gong is difficult if not impossible. In
addition, the role of the media in China is closely linked to the propagation of government
policy, and although there has been some broadening of independent reporting by the
Chinese press, in areas as politically sensitive as this, the press must not contradict the
party line.

Cultic Studies Journal, Volume 17, 2000, Page 111
The Western Press in China
Western reporters in China have a difficult job1 since the government puts restrictions on
their movement and ability to conduct research or interviews, and people are often unwilling
to speak their minds to reporters. Also, according to James Mann, foreign policy columnist
for the Los Angeles Times and author of About Face: A History of America‟s Curious
Relationship with China from Nixon to Clinton, the American press tends to pick a particular
image or concept for reporting on China in any particular decade, and in the 1990‘s,
according to Mann, the media has reduced their reporting to the topic of a repressive
China.2 Therefore most stories tend to center around this theme and refrain from covering
other angles. This has been true of the coverage of the Falun Gong. Most stories on the
Falun Gong have centered around the theme of human rights abuses in China.
The Falun Gong
A major source of information to the Western press has been the Falun Gong office in New
York through the Rachlin Management and Media Group, owned by Falun Gong
spokesperson Gail Rachlin who is a practitioner. Information is provided via press releases,
interviews with Li Hongzhi (interviews with Li have been discontinued since the summer of
1999), and information provided on the Falun Gong Web site. The information from this
source is understandably biased and serving self-interests. This raises the larger question
of the use of the Internet for information and the absence of any standard of accuracy,
verification, or accountability for information provided on personal and interest group Web
sites, as well as the Web sites‘ impact on individual internet users, the news media, and
political policy.
The Information Center on Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China
This is an organization based in Hong Kong and run by Lu Siqing, also known as Frank Lu.
According to Lu, the three main news sources: Associated Press (AP), Agence France Presse
(AFP), and Reuters, issued in 1998 1,110 reports that were based on his Center‘s
information. Lu‘s organization is a one-man operation and he receives his information via
phone calls from mainland China. Lu states that he gets his information out faster than
―other famous‖ human rights groups and that his reports are quoted ―first‖ by the western
press.
Comment
I believe that there needs to be more independent verification of information.3 If it cannot
be verified, then that should be stated, as did the New York Times when it added in several
of its reports that ―This information cannot be independently verified.‖4 Also, sources of
information should be identified more clearly whenever possible. It will also be beneficial if
the American press continues a trend it has already begun, which is to cover the Falun Gong
in fuller context and in broader scope.5
An Evaluation of the Falun Gong: Potential Problems
I think there are four areas of the Falun Gong teaching and organization that are
problematic and that deserve further study and a continuing awareness. They are:
1. Li‘s absolute authority
2. A strong us/them division with a highly negative view of ―ordinary‖ people
3. An environment conducive to abandoning medical care
4. The use of misinformation to influence practitioners
Li’s Absolute Authority
Li insists that his practitioners believe his teachings 100%. You are not allowed to read any
other books that touch upon the topics of philosophy, religion, new age beliefs, qigong, etc.6