Applying Wisdom and Compassion in News Reporting

(Minghui.org)

Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!

I am a Toronto practitioner working for the English Epoch Times. I’d like to share some of my reflections and realizations after studying Master’s recent articles.

As a journalist, I have to read a lot of news on a daily basis. To cover a more in-depth story, I frequently have to dig into the details of the policies presented by the various political parties. It was easy for me when I first started out, as I did not have any notions favoring or resenting anyone. However, as I gained experience in my job, I found myself agreeing more with the principles of one major political party. My attachment to partisanship became very obvious when my news coverage gave more weight to that party.

For a long time, I thought this was fine because the other parties have policies that tend to lean away from traditional values and culture—something which, to my understanding at the time, didn’t align with our media’s pursuit for “Truth, Tradition, Hope.” Also, after having read “How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World,” I saw clearly how the old forces have arranged to inject atheism and materialism across different fields and strata of society to destroy mankind’s divine nature. I was determined to expose those lies.

Some of my stories got lots of views, shares, and sign-ups. When I looked at the comment box on our media’s website, I could see readers agreeing with what was presented, but at the same time, they were lashing out at left-leaning parties and their members. Though my articles did not make any personal attacks on anyone, the sheer amount of criticism from our readers against those individuals made me ponder if I had presented the news in a way that was as neutral as possible. Deep in my heart I knew that although I did not write a word against the leftists in my pieces, I was harboring resentment toward them. I held the view that they were agents sent by the old forces to destroy the western world.

I also noticed that whenever I asked for an interview or requested comments from a left-leaning individual on certain social issues, most of the time I didn’t get a response. I did not see anything amiss, as I considered it normal that people could choose not to respond. But when I researched other media outlets' content later, I saw that other outlets had managed to obtain interviews from both sides.

After Master’s new article “Wake Up” was published, I reevaluated if everything I had done was based on cultivation and compassion. I realized that I was far from the Fa’s requirements.

The reality is that what was on my mind had manifested itself on the surface. Because I resented those people, I was in fact pushing them away from being saved—whether or not the resentment was expressed in my articles. Master told us:

“Remember the law of the conservation of matter. Whatever a person does in this world has a physical reality in another, designated dimension; and this is true for even a simple gesture, like a swiping motion. Whatever one does will leave an image and information there. They are conserved in that dimension and will exist there forever.” (The Second Talk, Zhuan Falun).

I came to understand that the growing division between the two major political parties in Canada could be the result of Dafa practitioners’ attachments to political party affiliations—myself included. In addition, the mentality of defending a political party and going against another was itself pushing the compassion out of me. Master says in “Wake Up”:

“There have been cases where others can’t even sense in you the compassion that someone leading a spiritual life should have. Or your commentaries on situations or events are based on your personal inclinations, which shouldn’t be. You are here to help rescue lives on a spiritual level, and you should be gauging things in light of Zhen, Shan, Ren—being true, kind, and forbearing. What you write and say should, at a minimum, help steer people in a direction that will ultimately elevate their souls.” (“Wake Up”)

The question now is how do I approach my reporting? Through discussions with fellow practitioners in the editorial team, we came to the understanding that the starting point should be: How can we approach the story as a Dafa cultivator would? How can we present the facts to our readers with the same compassion that we have when we clarify the truth to sentient beings? In fact, Master already taught us how to do it when he explained in The First Talk of Zhuan Falun how energy practices predate history. Using examples of artifacts that dated back hundreds of thousands or millions of years, Master helped us understand the existence of prehistoric civilizations and energy practices – and how Darwin’s evolutionary theory had confined us – all in a compassionate and calm way.

I don’t see how there is any set formula on how to cover the news, because each piece of news can be unique and challenging, but I have faith in Dafa. Master says in Zhuan Falun:

“You can be a good person in any strata of society. Each class has its own, unique interpersonal challenges, and this includes the upper class. But there are always proper ways to handle them. You can be a good person whatever your strata of society, and have few wants and attachments.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)

Likewise for different types of news, in my understanding, there are appropriate ways to cover them.

As for the details of how to handle them, it could be choosing a news angle that other media outlets have not tried, or it could be thinking through the consequences of writing an article before we even start. As I continue to reflect on how to handle the news, I got a hint from Master recently in a dream.

In the dream I saw myself dancing with Shen Yun dancers on stage. I did not understand why as a news reporter I would want to dance. I mean that my body is stiff, I’m old, and I’m short. But then I came to realize that there is a message behind the dream. It is how Master combines the musical instruments of the Eastern and Western cultures together in perfect harmony, how he presents traditional Chinese stories in a way that Westerners can understand, and how technology is used to complement classical Chinese dance that conveys the depth and breadth of genuine Chinese culture. The message is in my understanding: apply wisdom, apply judgment, and apply balance from the Fa's perspective.

I’m still learning the craft of reporting, and I believe Master will guide me.

Thank you, Master. Thank you, my fellow practitioners.

(Presented at the 2024 Canada Fa Conference)