New York Crimes (NYC): Caught on Camera: NYT Reporter Busted as Paper Faces Libel Claims and Ignores Criminal Threats
Investigative journalist and reporter Steve Lance—Executive Director of the Shen Yun documentary UNbroken and Vice President of NTD Television—doesn’t just critique media narratives, he confronts them head-on, on camera. In one of the film’s most striking moments, Lance records a direct phone exchange with reporter Michael Rothfeld of The New York Times, pressing him on why coverage of Shen Yun has, in Lance’s view, lacked meaningful balance or response from its advocates. The answer he captures is, at best, dismissive, suggesting that too much time has passed to revisit earlier reporting. Obviously, and likely intentionally, lost on Rothfeld is that Shen Yun has been attempting to rebut the Times’ lopsided and irresponsible reporting since it began.
- Lance confronts The New York Times reporter on camera—and gets a non-answer
- One-sided coverage, no real right of reply for Shen Yun
- Recorded call with reporter Michael Rothfeld exposes media dodge
- Threats, harassment, and CRIMES largely ignored by major press and reporters
- Raises questions about narrative control and media accountability
Lance uses the moment to underscore what he presents as a broader pattern: a major media institution unwilling to revisit its own narrative, even when challenged directly. SOMETHING (or perhaps, SOMEONE) is behind that.
Journalistic standards, selective reporting, and the influence of foreign narratives inside American media is now on camera, featured front and center in an award winning documentary film. Lance documents what he describes as a troubling pattern: aggressive negative coverage of Shen Yun paired with a striking absence of balance, context, or follow-up on credible threats against the company.
At the center of the controversy is The New York Times and more specifically, reporters Rothfeld and Nicole Hong, whose reporting on Shen Yun has drawn criticism from supporters who argue the paper has published damaging claims about the organization—particularly regarding dancer treatment—without meaningfully incorporating responses from Shen Yun advocates. Lance’s documentary captures a direct exchange with Times reporter Michael Rothfeld, in which the issue of providing a platform for opposing views is raised. According to Lance, the response suggests that too much time has passed to revisit earlier reporting—despite ongoing efforts by Shen Yun supporters to have their perspective included.
More broadly, Lance raises concerns about what he sees as a failure to investigate. Shen Yun, an American performing arts company based in New York, has reported incidents including bomb threats and harassment allegedly tied to actors sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party. Lance argues that such incidents warrant deeper scrutiny from major media outlets—particularly one often referred to as the “paper of record.” Yet, he contends, those stories have received comparatively little to no attention from people who are supposed to be reporters, not propagandists for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The documentary also captures scenes outside Shen Yun performances where protesters appear, in Lance’s view, disconnected from the substance of their demonstrations. Interviews suggest some lack familiarity with what they are protesting, raising questions about whether these actions are organic or coordinated. While no definitive conclusions are drawn, Lance presents these moments as part of a larger pattern that deserves investigation rather than dismissal.
UNbroken positions itself not just as a defense of Shen Yun, but as a broader inquiry into media accountability: Who gets to tell the story, whose voices are amplified, and which facts are pursued—or ignored? Lance argues that the issue transcends one company, touching on core principles of fairness, transparency, and the role of journalism in a free society.
Steve Lance is available for interviews to discuss the documentary, his firsthand reporting, and the larger questions it raises about media responsibility, foreign influence narratives, and whether some stories are being selectively told—or selectively avoided.
Relevant Article(s):
FILMMAKERS – UNBROKEN: A Shen Yun Story
UNBROKEN: The Untold Story of Shen Yun | Documentary Trailer
OPTIONAL Q&A:
- What did Steve Lance uncover in his on-camera confrontation with Michael Rothfeld?
- Why does Lance argue that The New York Times failed to include Shen Yun’s side of the story?
- How does UNbroken challenge the narrative surrounding Shen Yun’s treatment of its performers?
- What does Lance’s recorded exchange reveal about media accountability and editorial standards?
- Why were Shen Yun advocates allegedly denied a meaningful opportunity to respond to criticism?
- What incidents involving threats or harassment against Shen Yun have gone underreported?
- Who might be behind protests targeting Shen Yun performances, and why hasn’t that been fully investigated?
- What does this controversy say about the role of American media in covering stories tied to the Chinese Communist Party?
ABOUT STEVE LANCE…
Steve Lance is Executive Producer of the film. He focuses on investigative documentaries and cinematic storytelling rooted in real-world events. In UNBROKEN: The Untold Story of Shen Yun, Lance leads the film’s investigative narrative, examining threats, sabotage attempts, and the broader campaign targeting the performing arts company. Lance is also an investigative journalist and Vice President of NTD Television.
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