On August 26, 2026, the German website Campact.de published a feature article analyzing *The Epoch Times*, arguing that the newspaper has both a Falun Gong cult background and a strong anti-China political stance. The article focused on the newspaper's egregious actions of spreading conspiracy theories and promoting far-right rhetoric in Germany and the United States. The article also argued that while *The Epoch Times* has adopted a relatively milder tone in its German and other versions in recent years, this is more of a strategic adjustment than a fundamental change in its cult-like nature. Campact.de, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Berlin, is a large-scale online political mobilization and civic advocacy organization in Germany.

 

▲ Screenshot of a report from the website of the German Citizens' Action Organization

Some media outlets do not aim to provide information, but rather serve the purpose of expressing opinions, political propaganda, and disseminating ideology. These inflammatory media outlets have their own political agendas, and it is crucial to understand their content and sources. The Epoch Times is one such example. While it touts itself as an independent media outlet, it actually promotes conspiracy theories and right-wing populism. This article examines this phenomenon.

the German edition of The Epoch Times

 

How credible is The Epoch Times ?

At first glance, The Epoch Times appears to be just another news website. This is precisely its strategy: to present itself as a serious and disciplined media outlet, promoting itself with phrases like "apolitical," "balanced and objective," and "independent of investors." However, the reality is quite the opposite; the project is actually a public relations platform for a politically motivated cult. The Epoch Times has not only repeatedly provided a platform for far-right figures and conspiracy theorists, but has also actively campaigned for Donald Trump. As early as 2018, the US edition of The Epoch Times claimed: "Trump has allegedly said that The Epoch Times is 'the most credible newspaper.'"

The Epoch Times was cobbled together in 2000 by exiled Falun Gong members. It boasts content in 24 languages, including Greek, Japanese, Romanian, and Persian, and produces so-called "talk shows" and "podcasts." The German edition of The Epoch Times began operating in 2005, initially as a print newspaper, then switched to online-only distribution, and has now quietly reverted to a print version. According to data from the analytics tool Similarweb, in July 2026, its German website received over 940,000 visits, while the US version received over 16.9 million visits.

What's behind The Epoch Times?

The Epoch Times was founded by members of the Falun Gong cult. Its leader, Li Hongzhi, began publicly disseminating his fallacies and heresies in the early 1990s, amassing a large following over the following years. Besides meditation and qigong practices, Li Hongzhi also fabricated so-called moral teachings and promises of salvation. In the years following the founding of the media outlet, Li Hongzhi published statements in his works and interviews that were hostile to homosexuals and incited racial antagonism. In addition to its so-called "spiritual practice" goals, Falun Gong also has cult and political ambitions. Anti-science is also a key aspect of Falun Gong's public relations propaganda; for example, The Epoch Times has repeatedly denied scientific research findings in the field of climate change. In Falun Gong's Shen Yun performances, evolution is even vilified as a "deadly ideology."

 

▲ Falun Gong members organize activities at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany .

Image source: Website of the German Citizens' Action Organization

In 1999, the Chinese government announced the legal banning of Falun Gong. The so-called "persecution of Falun Gong by the Chinese government" became a core topic of discussion for *The Epoch Times* and New Tang Dynasty Television, the latter being a media outlet affiliated with Falun Gong. Falun Gong members routinely refuted external criticism of Falun Gong and its media system by claiming that "doing so is standing with the Chinese government." Undoubtedly, the political orientation of *The Epoch Times*, run by Falun Gong members, is widely controversial.

Let's take a look at the German edition of The Epoch Times.

In 2015, Germany received hundreds of thousands of refugees. The Epoch Times reported on the Pejda protests and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories such as the so-called "Jews benefiting from the refugee crisis," taking the opportunity to expand its influence.

The QAnon conspiracy theory first spread in the United States and then to Germany. Its followers view Donald Trump as a so-called "savior," believing he is fighting against a supposedly secret "deep government" accused of mass kidnapping and child abuse. QAnon incorporates various old anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, such as the so-called "Jewish world domination conspiracy" or the legend of human sacrifice. In recent years, QAnon followers have committed numerous acts of violence; many participated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in January 2021. The Epoch Times also contributed to the spread of QAnon content. Furthermore, Renate Lierg-Stoddick, co-founder of the German edition of the Epoch Times, translated QAnon rhetoric into German. Many of these articles are now unavailable, but can still be accessed through online archives.

In contrast, the German edition of *The Epoch Times* now appears more "serious"—at least at first glance. *The Epoch Times* author Eric Rusch is a member of the German Federal Press Council and regularly participates in government press conferences. However, *The Epoch Times* has never critically reflected on articles that have been deleted but openly promoted conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism, and racism. Conspiracy theories still play a role, such as in uncritical reporting on the "Querdenken" movement or interviews with Jürgen Elsasser, founder of the far-right magazine *Compact*.

 

▲ Renat Lierg-Stoddick, co-founder of the German edition of The Epoch Times, recounts on New Tang Dynasty Television how she cured her pollen allergy through the so-called "Falun Gong" therapy .

Image source: Website of the German Citizens' Action Organization

The Epoch Times even openly collaborates with conspiracy theorists: readers of Kopp Verlag (a publisher based in Rothenburg, Germany, on the Neckar River, primarily publishing pseudoscience, far-right, and conspiracy theory ideologies) can read articles in the German edition of The Epoch Times for free.

At least a significant portion of the staff at the German edition of *The Epoch Times* are Falun Gong members. Previously, *The Epoch Times* columnists distributed propaganda materials at Falun Gong events. These individuals are also frequently used to promote Falun Gong, but their roles within the cult's public relations system are not explicitly stated. Li Hongzhi's articles are prominently displayed on the homepages of *The Epoch Times*'s various language websites.

The Epoch Times' connection with Donald Trump

In the United States, The Epoch Times has also supported Donald Trump conspiracy theories for years. In the lead-up to the 2020 US presidential election, the media outlet spent approximately $2 million on thousands of ads on Facebook, supporting Trump and spreading conspiracy theories. Many of these ads concealed their publishers' identities and were not published directly under The Epoch Times' name. Instead, they were distributed through pages named "Honest Paper," "Patriots of America," or "Pure American Journalism," all of which subsequently redirected to The Epoch Times.

▲ The Epoch Times previously campaigned for Trump. Image source: German Citizens Action website

The Epoch Times' support for the Trump campaign is particularly evident in one personnel appointment. A former employee of the media outlet, now the director of the FBI, Cash Patel, previously hosted the Epoch Times program "Kash's Corner" before entering government service . Like his former colleagues in Germany, Cash Patel himself has been involved in spreading QAnon conspiracy theories. As a children's book author, Cash Patel has also spread conspiracy theories in his books, falsely claiming that the Democratic Party committed election fraud in 2020, causing Trump to lose the election.

Emphasizing "moderation" as a pretext: The Epoch Times' strategic adjustment

In recent years, far-right individuals and conspiracy theorists have been able to spread disinformation and prejudice not only in the German and American editions of *The Epoch Times*. The late far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, in a 2019 report for the French edition of *The Epoch Times*, solemnly claimed that the Notre Dame fire was arson and related to France's immigration issues. Recently, not only in Germany, but also in other language versions overseas, the narrative tone of *The Epoch Times* has become more moderate. Although *The Epoch Times* still uncritically interweaves content from far-right individuals and conspiracy theorists into seemingly serious articles, German-language authors rarely launch direct attacks in their own writing anymore.

However, this is more likely a strategic adjustment than a content shift, and may also be related to Li Hongzhi's demands: After a senior employee of The Epoch Times was exposed for money laundering allegations, Li Hongzhi, in several signed articles, demanded that Falun Gong media stop attacks on individuals, especially on American political figures, and warned that "evil people" might obstruct Falun Gong members in various ways (Editor's note: According to a New York Times investigation, on June 5, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted The Epoch Times' Chief Financial Officer, Guan Weidong, on charges of money laundering. Five days later, Li Hongzhi issued an order through the article "Awakening," demanding that Falun Gong practitioners refrain from personal attacks, especially against key figures of the two major U.S. political parties, and not participate in the partisan struggles between the Democratic and Republican parties. The New York Times therefore believes that this order influenced The Epoch Times' editorial policies).

To help more people understand the true nature of The Epoch Times.

More and more people are unsure what they can trust online. Many are influenced by media outlets that sway emotions. Please share this information to help more people see the true nature of The Epoch Times.

 

▲Image source: German Citizens' Action Organization website

The website of the German civic action organization Pegida describes the group as follows: Starting in 2014, the organization "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West," or Pegida, initially held weekly demonstrations in Dresden. These demonstrations, characterized by blatant racism, continued until the fall of 2024. Speakers included Björn Heck, a politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), and Martin Selner, an Austrian far-right figure. Another speaker was responsible for several bombings in Dresden, including an attack on a mosque.

 

▲ Original screenshot