During the Paris Olympic Games, American gymnastics star Simone Biles accidentally injured her calf during warm-up for the qualifying round, causing her to limp off the field. Despite the injury, she bravely bound the injured area with bandages and continued to compete because she is Simone Biles, one of the greatest athletes in gymnastics history.
Two weeks later, Biles returned to the United States with three gold medals and one silver. If Biles had chosen to complain or succumb to the pain, she may not have had to endure such severe discomfort, but she also would not have achieved such great success and honor.
We all know how tough ballet training can be, with hours of repetitive practice of the same body movements being a requirement. Russian ballet schools are renowned for their strict discipline and dancers who fear no pain, with other ballet schools following similar teaching philosophies.
When it comes to physical training for competitive sports or performing arts, we all know there are no shortcuts, no way to become “world-class” without experiencing pain. This is why we admire ballet dancers, as their training intensity far surpasses what most of us can handle.
Of course, every dancer could choose to quit if they wanted to, but because they love dance and strive to surpass their limits, they persevere.
Legendary U.S. Navy SEAL training offers similar insights. In their training grounds, there is a bell where each trainee can choose to interrupt training at any time by ringing it to indicate surrender. And no one will stop them.
However, those who choose to endure and complete the training will feel proud for having passed the toughest tests. The difficulties and pains experienced in training are not meaningless torture, but rather preparation for SEAL team members to be ready to face the most challenging missions.
Regarding Shen Yun, people may say that artists undergo a “Navy SEAL-style artistic training,” with a rigorous summer training preparing Shen Yun artists for a five-month performance season, where each performing group will do about 100 shows on stages around the world.
Recently, The New York Times published an article based on interviews with approximately 25 former Shen Yun performers. The article seems to serve as a platform for these former performers to vent years of “anger” or “dissatisfaction.”
The interviewed performers mainly spoke of the setbacks they faced, while the Times’ related reports gave readers the impression of “how bad it was.”
However, when a gymnastics coach says, “Get back on the field!” or a ballet teacher shouts, “Stand up and keep dancing!” or a military training instructor issues the command, “Stand up and run!” our society appears to accept it, and the newspapers do not specifically write articles to belittle or criticize these practices.
So, why did The New York Times publish a 5,000-word article to report on an arts group headquartered in New York?
This article sparked my curiosity. Bullying in the workplace is certainly wrong, but fair judgment requires listening to both sides. What led these 25 former performers to encounter the “unfortunate experiences” portrayed by The New York Times? Unfortunately, as a reader, I did not find answers in the report.
Another thing that comes to mind is that interviewing only one side of a story is a poor journalistic practice. The Times’ interviewees were all dissatisfied former employees, with no current or “satisfied” employees interviewed. I also hope to hear more from these people.
Biased reporting, like flawed scientific experiments, always leaves one feeling uneasy.
Can it allow me to objectively understand the whole situation’s ins and outs? Or is someone trying to manipulate the outcome?
In scientific research or reporting, clearly stating all potential conflicts of interest of the researcher or journalist can help readers understand how these conflicts may affect the research results or report objectivity.
Does The New York Times have any conflicts of interest with the Chinese Communist regime or the CCP?
This is a thought-provoking question, but we may never know the answer.
According to the American Ballet Theatre website, the company is considered one of the largest dance companies, attracting approximately 300,000 viewers annually.
Shen Yun performs for over one million live audiences in more than 200 cities each year. This is not to create a competitive comparison between the two art groups but to highlight the brilliant achievements Shen Yun has achieved year after year. The success of Shen Yun artists is due to their acceptance of highly challenging training.
If we enjoy watching Biles win gold, appreciate the American Ballet Theatre performances, and are impressed by the courage of the Navy SEALs, then why criticize Shen Yun for achieving similar success with equally rigorous training? This is the training style of world-class performing artists.
In short, Shen Yun is a classical Chinese dance and traditional music arts company.
The Times’ article seems to strongly distort Shen Yun’s image into a bad one. So let’s compare.
In the United States, employees are laid off every day. The bigger the company, the more people are laid off. If The New York Times would put in the same effort to find those employees of large corporations who were laid off in difficult circumstances, I believe they could write an article criticizing many companies.
Sometimes, the work environment may be acceptable for one employee but not suitable for another. Everyone should seek a work environment that makes them comfortable and allows them to fit in with the team.
However, if reporting workplace emotional abuse becomes a new “hot topic,” I suggest visiting the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies, which would be an eye-opening experience.
Why does The New York Times imply that so-called “emotional abuse incidents” only happen at one company?
If investigative reporters were to investigate emotional abuse incidents among their own Times staff, how would the paper react?
(In biblical terms,) “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
My main point is that the workplace is a challenging environment. In fact, almost all workplaces are such. (Readers may pause and reflect on their work environments and whether everything is going smoothly for them.) Let’s rid ourselves of biases and look at some specific figures objectively.
Established in 2006, Shen Yun has continuously developed over 18 years, now having 8 art groups with over a thousand people participating in performances or collaborating with Shen Yun. So, the 25 former Shen Yun performers mentioned in The Times’ report make up about 2.5% of the total Shen Yun staff. These former performers were either laid off or left on their own during that time.
Human resources expert and analyst Matthew Zane from workplace analysis and career development advice website Zippia said, “40% of Americans experience being laid off in their lifetime.”
Zane said, “In June 2022, the proportion of laid off workers in the arts, entertainment, and leisure industries was 2.8%, the highest among all employees.” Therefore, with Shen Yun’s 2.5% falling within this range of values, why did The New York Times report on such an ordinary event?
In conclusion, I have two final points. Firstly, I feel regret for anyone who has experienced a poor work environment and encourage everyone to make healthy choices and find a more suitable environment. Secondly, can The New York Times return to a path of sound, traditional journalism? Acting as the mouthpiece of certain “unknown forces” may bring short-term benefits, but it does not contribute to objectively reporting on events happening in American society.
Author’s bio:
Dr. Torsten Trey is the founder and executive director of “Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH),” an organization advocating for medical ethics. He is one of the leading figures in the global movement against forced organ harvesting by the Chinese Communist regime. As a spokesperson for international organizations, Trey has appeared in the award-winning documentary “Human Harvest” and is a co-editor of the book “State Organs: Transplant Abuse in China.”
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not represent NTD.com’s view.