The New York Times published a series of articles criticizing Shen Yun Performing Arts for its strict school policies and alleging that the company’s “urgent spiritual mission” is rooted in intolerance and explicit bias. However, these claims were debunked by the Free Download Center (FDIC), which highlighted the paper’s long record of downplaying or ignoring the persecution Falun Gong practitioners face in China. The FDIC urged the New York Times to retract its articles and investigate the issue further.