TORONTO—The Chinese edition of The Epoch Times has received the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada award for “Excellence in editorial/free expression, best concept and visual presentation.”
Cindy Gu, publisher of the paper, accepted the award from Ontario Lieutenant Governor David Onley on behalf of what she described as an “excellent team of reporters, editors, photographers and designers” at an event Nov. 9 at Queen’s Park.
Gu said The Epoch Times has come a long way since it first began as a weekly tabloid in 2000. Since then, the paper has grown into Canada’s largest Chinese broadsheet and the only daily Chinese newspaper with an audited circulation.
The newspaper’s growth includes the addition of English and French editions and expansion across the country to Canada’s six largest cities.
It is the second time The Epoch Times has won the award. In 2005, the paper won for its coverage of SARS. It was the first newspaper to report on SARS while official Chinese channels still denied the existence of the disease.
Thomas Saras, president of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council, lauded The Epoch Times’ efforts to bridge the cultural divide between Chinese newcomers and mainstream Canadian society while reporting on ongoing problems in China.
“The Epoch Times are real good fighters. They bring many, many stories about what is happening in China with issues like organ harvesting and the killing of people for their organs. [The award] shows that it is a paper well respected in the community, by the community, and it is working for the benefits of the human family,” Saras said.
“They have the ability to fight for the truth and to fight for human rights.”
Ethnic Media Rising
Once considered relatively insignificant, Canada’s ethnic press has grown in stature as its ethnic communities have grown.
