No, The New York Times was not helpful for Falun Gong. In fact, it has been criticized for parroting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s propaganda about the spiritual practice, which is considered a “cult” or “sect” by the CCP. The paper continued to report negatively on Falun Gong even after other media outlets debunked the false accusations against it, such as the self-immolation incident in Tiananmen Square that was staged by the CCP.
