When China began cracking down on the spiritual movement Falun Gong in the 1990s, its leader and some followers moved to the United States. From there, they started the Epoch Times, a free newsletter.

But in the past decade, the organisation has grown to become a conservative media empire – with a Pentagon press pass, a slick TV arm, and many millions of dollars in revenue. How did they do it? The story involves a mysterious spiritual leader, a dance troupe, and even a federal indictment.

What does the meteoric rise of the Epoch Times say about how media and politics in the United States have changed in the last decade? We speak to Brandy Zadrozny, who has investigated the Epoch Times for NBC News.

Producer: Lucy Pawle and Cat Farnsworth

Sound engineer: Martin Peralta and Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Members of the Falun Gong protesting in New York. Credit: Alex Segre/BBC Images)