6 ms·

Is it a requirement for every Asian cult to own a few American newspapers? I know of two others

by cuteboy19 4y ago

hunglee2 4y ago
no requirement, just smart business
- photochemsyn 4y ago
  Last I checked American newspapers were not profit centers, so business is likely not the motivation - other than perhaps the value of controlling media in terms of propaganda, i.e. narrative control, which may be of value to other businesses owned by the entity. (Jeff Bezos buying the Washington Post, for example, is only a 'good business decision' in the context of providing a platform that enhances the business interests of Amazon (which seeks to avoid unionization) and AWS (which seeks expanded government contracts)).
  - hunglee2 4y ago
    your second point was the main point in my admittedly overly cryptic comment. Narrative control + amplification power + even brand awareness = revenue opportunity. For example, The Epoch Times, the media mouthpiece of Falun Gong, promotes Shen Yun, the Chinese Dance troupe showcasing the 'beauty of China before Communism'. Propaganda and Profit need each other
cvccvroomvroom 4y ago
Don't you dare besmirch The Epoch Times. Edit: People don't understand /s. Poe's law strikes again. Also, The Christian Science Monitor does a terrible job monitoring Christian Science and Christianity, but they do alright on science. They're absolutely flying off the handle with their obvious slant towards uncontroversial, neutral, factual reporting. Those bastards.
- xbar 4y ago
  I hope no one misses the implied /s regarding CSM. The Christian Science Monitor is a model of great reporting in a time when few models exist. I am saddened when someone downplays a CSM report as biased because the listener assumes some form of Christian fundamentalism.
  - ConstantVigil 4y ago
    So, I'm not alone in wondering if they should be treated like bible thumpers, or not. Good to know. Also good to know they aren't bible thumpers, and just happen to be 'Christians' monitoring science, as per the name implies.
    - kevinmchugh 4y ago
      The name should be read as The Monitor, owned by Christian Scientists. Christian Scientist is a specific sect. Monitor here is like any other newspaper name, it could be The Christian Science Times, or Christian Science Observer
    - pohl 4y ago
      Like kevinmchugh pointed out, imagine parentheses to group "(Christian Science) Monitor". Christian Science is a set of beliefs that the "First Church of Christ, Scientist" adhere to. Stuff like the belief that disease is a mental error rather than physical disorder, and that the sick should be treated not by medicine but by a form of prayer that seeks to correct the beliefs responsible for the illusion of ill health. Sadly, this makes the appearance of the word "Science" even more confusing to the casual observer.
      - ConstantVigil 4y ago
        Fair enough. Though I do want to say anecdotally at least that mind over matter can be pretty powerful stuff... Placebo's and Nocebo effects wouldn't exist without it.
edvards 4y ago
Can you tell about the two others?
- shp0ngle 4y ago
  The Epoch Times is owned by Falun Gong. (They are apocalyptic/UFO/meditation cult, they have been banned in China and, if you believe their claims, organ harvested. I don’t know how much to believe those claims, but China does keep a lot of things with organs weirdly secret. FG are present at every anti-Chinese protest. They also do the Chinese ballet which name I forgot now…. ah yeah Shen Yun) I don’t know any other.
  - JohnJamesRambo 4y ago
    Wow I did not know they did that Chinese ballet. I will be sure to never attend that now. I had checked the prices before and was amazed at how unexpectedly expensive it was.
  - netfortius 4y ago
    Attended one of the shows in France, a few months ago. They politicized it right from the beginning, by having some bozos with English language fluency critize the Chinese government (not that they don't deserve it, but the way it was done sounded like far right American rhetoric). The show itself was vomit inducing, so I left after the first half an hour. As I was waiting outside for someone to exit, at the formal intermezzo mark, I couldn't help noticing lots of other people leaving the avenue. Doesn't surprise me to learn about the relationship with falun gong cult.
    - kevinmchugh 4y ago
      The tagline on their flyers used to be "5000 years of culture reborn" And I guess they rethought the subtlety because now it's "China before communism"
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - 4y ago
baybal2 4y ago

Is it a requirement for every Asian cult to own a few American newspapers? I know of two others

hunglee2 4y ago

no requirement, just smart business

photochemsyn 4y ago
Last I checked American newspapers were not profit centers, so business is likely not the motivation - other than perhaps the value of controlling media in terms of propaganda, i.e. narrative control, which may be of value to other businesses owned by the entity. (Jeff Bezos buying the Washington Post, for example, is only a 'good business decision' in the context of providing a platform that enhances the business interests of Amazon (which seeks to avoid unionization) and AWS (which seeks expanded government contracts)).
- hunglee2 4y ago
  your second point was the main point in my admittedly overly cryptic comment. Narrative control + amplification power + even brand awareness = revenue opportunity. For example, The Epoch Times, the media mouthpiece of Falun Gong, promotes Shen Yun, the Chinese Dance troupe showcasing the 'beauty of China before Communism'. Propaganda and Profit need each other

cvccvroomvroom 4y ago

Don't you dare besmirch The Epoch Times. Edit: People don't understand /s. Poe's law strikes again. Also, The Christian Science Monitor does a terrible job monitoring Christian Science and Christianity, but they do alright on science. They're absolutely flying off the handle with their obvious slant towards uncontroversial, neutral, factual reporting. Those bastards.

xbar 4y ago
I hope no one misses the implied /s regarding CSM. The Christian Science Monitor is a model of great reporting in a time when few models exist. I am saddened when someone downplays a CSM report as biased because the listener assumes some form of Christian fundamentalism.
- ConstantVigil 4y ago
  So, I'm not alone in wondering if they should be treated like bible thumpers, or not. Good to know. Also good to know they aren't bible thumpers, and just happen to be 'Christians' monitoring science, as per the name implies.
  - kevinmchugh 4y ago
    The name should be read as The Monitor, owned by Christian Scientists. Christian Scientist is a specific sect. Monitor here is like any other newspaper name, it could be The Christian Science Times, or Christian Science Observer
  - pohl 4y ago
    Like kevinmchugh pointed out, imagine parentheses to group "(Christian Science) Monitor". Christian Science is a set of beliefs that the "First Church of Christ, Scientist" adhere to. Stuff like the belief that disease is a mental error rather than physical disorder, and that the sick should be treated not by medicine but by a form of prayer that seeks to correct the beliefs responsible for the illusion of ill health. Sadly, this makes the appearance of the word "Science" even more confusing to the casual observer.
    - ConstantVigil 4y ago
      Fair enough. Though I do want to say anecdotally at least that mind over matter can be pretty powerful stuff... Placebo's and Nocebo effects wouldn't exist without it.

edvards 4y ago

Can you tell about the two others?

shp0ngle 4y ago
The Epoch Times is owned by Falun Gong. (They are apocalyptic/UFO/meditation cult, they have been banned in China and, if you believe their claims, organ harvested. I don’t know how much to believe those claims, but China does keep a lot of things with organs weirdly secret. FG are present at every anti-Chinese protest. They also do the Chinese ballet which name I forgot now…. ah yeah Shen Yun) I don’t know any other.
- JohnJamesRambo 4y ago
  Wow I did not know they did that Chinese ballet. I will be sure to never attend that now. I had checked the prices before and was amazed at how unexpectedly expensive it was.
- netfortius 4y ago
  Attended one of the shows in France, a few months ago. They politicized it right from the beginning, by having some bozos with English language fluency critize the Chinese government (not that they don't deserve it, but the way it was done sounded like far right American rhetoric). The show itself was vomit inducing, so I left after the first half an hour. As I was waiting outside for someone to exit, at the formal intermezzo mark, I couldn't help noticing lots of other people leaving the avenue. Doesn't surprise me to learn about the relationship with falun gong cult.
  - kevinmchugh 4y ago
    The tagline on their flyers used to be "5000 years of culture reborn" And I guess they rethought the subtlety because now it's "China before communism"
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- 4y ago

baybal2 4y ago