Cuba Supports Press Freedom

[Wanted Man]

http://www.projectcensored.org/articles/story/cuba-supports-press-freedom/


Cuba Supports Press Freedom

in Featured Articles & Editorials (http://www.projectcensored.org/articles/category/featured-articles-editorials/)

By Peter Phillips
“You cannot kill truth by murdering journalists,” said Tubal Páez, president of the Journalist Union of Cuba. One hundred and fifty Cuban and South American journalists, ambassadors, politicians, and foreign guests gathered at the Jose Marti International Journalist Institute to honor the 50th anniversary of the death of Carlos Bastidas Arguello —the last journalist killed in Cuba. Carlos Bastidas was only 23 years of age when he was assassinated by Fulgencia Batista’s secret police after having visited Fidel Castro’s forces in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. Edmundo Bastidas, Carlos’ brother, told about how a river of changed flowed from the Maestra (teacher) mountains, symbolized by his brother’s efforts to help secure a new future for Cuba.



The celebration in Havana was held in honor of World Press Freedom Day, which is observed every year in May. World Press Freedom day was proclaimed by the UN in 1993 to honor journalists who have lost their lives reporting the news, and to defend media freedom worldwide.



During my five days in Havana, I met with dozens of journalists, communication studies faculty and students, union representatives and politicians. The underlying theme of my visit was to determine the state of media freedom in Cuba and to build a better understanding between media democracy activists in the US and those in Cuba.



I toured the two main radio stations in Havana, Radio Rebelde and Radio Havana. Both have Internet access to multiple global news sources including CNN, Reuters, Associated Press and BBC with several newscasters pulling stories for public broadcast. Over 90 municipalities in Cuba have their own locally run radio stations, and journalists report local news from every province.



During the course of several hours in each station I was interviewed on the air about media consolidation and censorship in the US and was able to ask journalists about censorship in Cuba as well. Of the dozens I interviewed all said that they have complete freedom to write or broadcast any stories they choose. This was a far cry from the Stalinist media system so often depicted by US interests.



Nonetheless it did became clear that Cuban journalists share a common sense of a continuing counter-revolutionary threat by US financed Cuban-Americans living in Miami. This is not an entirely unwarranted feeling in that many hundreds of terrorist actions against Cuba have occurred with US backing over the past fifty years. In addition to the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, these attacks include the blowing up of a Cuban airlines plane in 1976 resulting in the deaths of seventy-three people, the starting in 1981 of an epidemic of dengue fever that killed 158 people and several hotel bombings in the 1990s one of which resulted in the death of an Italian tourist.



In the context of this external threat, Cuban journalists quietly acknowledge that some self-censorship will undoubtedly occur regarding news stories that could be used by the “enemy” against the Cuban people. Nonetheless, Cuban journalists strongly value freedom of the press and there was no evidence of overt restriction or government control.



Cuban journalists complain that the US corporate media is bias and refuses to cover the positive aspects of socialism in Cuba. Unknown to most Americans are the facts that Cuba is the number one organic country in the world, has an impressive health care system with a lower infant mortality rate than the US, trains doctor from all over the world, and has enjoyed a 43% increase in GDP over the past three years.



Ricardo Alarcon, President of the National Assembly, discussed bias in the US media, “how often do you see Gore Vidal interviewed on the US media?” he asked. Vidal has recently said that the US is in its ‘worst phase in history.’ “Perhaps Cuba uses corporate news to excess,” he said, “Cuban journalists need to link more to independent news sources in the US.” Alarcon went on to say that Cuba allows CNN, AP and Chicago Tribune to maintain offices in Cuba, but that the US refuses to allow Cuban journalists to work in the United States.



As the Cuban socialist system improves, the US does everything it can to artificially force cold-war conditions by funding terrorist attacks, maintaining an economic boycott, launching a new anti-terrorism Caribbean naval fleet, and increasingly limiting US citizen travel to Cuba. It is time to reverse this cold-war isolationist position, honor the Cuban peoples choice of a socialist system and build a positive working relationship between journalists in support of media democracy in both our countries.



Peter Phillips is a professor of Sociology and Sonoma State University and director of Project Censored a media research organization. He traveled to Cuba as an invited guest of the Journalist Union of Cuba May 10 to 15, 2008.

[bayano]

i am a cuba supporter, but lets not lie to ourselves. an independent press in cuba barely exists, and where it does it is often shuttered. the reason we all know or have heard: US imperialism permeates nearly any opposition or critic of cuban business as usual. but that doesnt mean there arent excesses when dealing with the independent press by the cuban state, and it correspondingly means that cuba doesnt have some mythic freedom of the press.

[BIG BROTHER]

that's true, this article is too naive or somewhat propagandistic, there is indeed censorship in Cuba, whether its "good" censorship or "bad" censorship the fact is that there is one.

[Dominicana_1965]

i am a cuba supporter, but lets not lie to ourselves. an independent press in cuba barely exists, and where it does it is often shuttered. the reason we all know or have heard: US imperialism permeates nearly any opposition or critic of cuban business as usual. but that doesnt mean there arent excesses when dealing with the independent press by the cuban state, and it correspondingly means that cuba doesnt have some mythic freedom of the press.

Comrade..

As you correctly pointed out, most opposition comes from U.S.-paid reactionaries. "Opposition" bloggers constantly criticize the Cuban state and socialism but aren't shut down. Now regarding critics, I think you should take a deeper look into the Cuban press which is constantly including pieces by Cuban writers who criticize certain conditions or rant about shortages. Apart from writers there are also radio stations which are controlled by workers who publicize their views and speak on issues from their perspectives. None, from what I know, have been "shut down".

I would also like to add that "freedom of the press" is usually limited to each society and their states. Under capitalism most mainstream "journalists" are nothing more than mouthpieces of the capitalists. Don't the capitalists control what is publicized and what is not? Don't the bureaucrats at Fox (and other means) ultimately decide what will be said to the majority of viewers? Would such a system be considered as having "freedom of the press"? A system where the capitalists are freely able to push their reactionary and devastating views on society?

To my knowledge, capitalist states have heavily cracked down on free-lance journalists that criticize capitalism. Not only cracking down opposition, but even reactionary critics.

Who has more freedom of the press? A country where the working-class wields power and publicizes it's views or a country where more than 90% (or more) of channels are owned by merely 5 corporations?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

"Freedom of the press" is a joke. There's no such thing, least of all in a capitalist country. How can there be freedom of the press when the majority of people could never afford to buy the means to print and distribute a paper and have no access to the papers that currently exist?

The question we need to ask is press for who, and by who? In Cuba it's the working class that owns and operates the press. Calls for "independent" and "free" press in Cuba are little more than misguided or thinly-guised calls to the allow the capitalist media in.

After the Cuban Revolution people stopped buying the capitalist newspapers that had supported the dictatorship of Batista and imperialism. The workers took power and created their own state through which they could repress the old exploiters, which includes limiting their ability to spread capitalist propaganda.

[Magdalen]

I think the comrade above put things exactly as they are.

The so called "opposition" are small, divided and nothing more than reactionaries in the pay of the United States. They have very little support among the Cuban people. No-one is interested in swallowing their lies and slanderous comments.

The press in Cuba is the freest in the world. It is owned by the workers, run by the workers, and produces news for the workers. The Cuban press does not pump out the reactionary views of media barons like Murdoch and Turner.

[OneBrickOneVoice]

in cuba communities and people have control in the media, in the US the rulers and bankers have control of the media. Simple as that.

[A New Era]

The press in Cuba is the freest in the world.

Do you actually believe what you are saying? :rolleyes:

The Cuban press is just the propaganda mouthpiece of the ruling party. Cubans are often very critical of society, and let us just say that the Cuban press is not exactly that critical.

[Qwerty489]

Do you actually believe what you are saying? :rolleyes:

The Cuban press is just the propaganda mouthpiece of the ruling party. Cubans are often very critical of society, and let us just say that the Cuban press is not exactly that critical.
gtfo please, and take your bourgeois idealism with you.

[A New Era]

How about you qwerty actually contribute in the discussion, instead of calling people names?

[Wanted Man]

How about you qwerty actually contribute in the discussion, instead of calling people names?

You're the one who doesn't contribute, you just make assertions and fail to back them up. As expected, nobody has made any meaningful comments on the article in the original post, nor NHIA's posts. So I think Qwerty is well within his rights to tell you to piss off.

[Qwerty489]

How about you qwerty actually contribute in the discussion, instead of calling people names?
It isn't name calling, you idealize bourgeois 'freedom', so kindly gtfo.

[A New Era]

Have you been to Cuba? If you have, you would know that opinions in Cuba are pretty varied. Not just from individual to individual, but also from generation to generation. Most people support the current system in one way or another, but people are often quite critical, think that a lot of the regulations and bureaucracy is unneccesary and see much room for improvement. Opinions in Cuba are varied on almost everything.


The Cuban media though, is anything but varied.


you idealize bourgeois 'freedom'

Yeah, because having people's varying opinions being heard instead of the same old "Fidel, the honorable leader of Cuba and bla bla affirmed Wednesday" is bourgeois?

A workers press is about workers having a say!

[Qwerty489]

Have you been to Cuba? If you have, you would know that opinions in Cuba are pretty varied. Not just from individual to individual, but also from generation to generation. Most people support the current system in one way or another, but people are often quite critical, think that a lot of the regulations and bureaucracy is unneccesary and see much room for improvement. Opinions in Cuba are varied on almost everything.


The Cuban media though, is anything but varied.
It's important that the Party and State maintain a strict line on political matters through the media, any inkling or 'variation' as you call it in the party line risks opening an avenue for pro-bourgeois elements to put their views out, and is thus contrary to class struggle.

[A New Era]

It's important that the Party and State maintain a strict line on political matters through the media, any inkling or 'variation' as you call it in the party line risks opening an avenue for pro-bourgeois elements to put their views out, and is thus contrary to class struggle.

That's what we call censorship, and the Cuban press is in the vast majority of cases, not reflective of the opinions of the people. So much for a "workers press". :rolleyes:

[Qwerty489]

That's what we call censorship, and the Cuban press is in the vast majority of cases, not reflective of the opinions of the people. So much for a "workers press". :rolleyes:
Of course it's a worker's press, it works in the interest of the working class. Pure democracy, even only of the proletariat, is not a good thing in the times of class struggle, workers can have reactionary views contrary to their economic and political interests. The State and Party act to direct society through education and information in the press to direct the masses to correct lines of thought.

You talking about 'democracy' and 'freedom' as if they are inherently good, but they are not, their can be bourgeois democracy and bourgeois freedom (free trade, free commerce etc). I am not for any of this bunk, I am for proletarian rule.

Now again New Era, I smell your bourgeois idealism a mile off.

[A New Era]

You talking about 'democracy' and 'freedom' as if they are inherently good, but they are notYou are putting words into people's mouth. I've never once in this thread talked about democracy or freedom. This will be the first time, since you brought it up.


Pure democracy, even only of the proletariat, is not a good thing in the times of class struggleYou cannot have socialism without democracy, and you cannot have democracy without either socialism or communism.


The State and Party act to direct society through education and information in the press to direct the masses to correct lines of thought.
The thing is, the Cuban press is so alienated from the views of the people that, although people will read it to get at least some information through the propaganda, they know very well that the Cuban press is all about defending the party, the state and the old veterans, and not about informing the people as honestly as possible.

[Qwerty489]

You cannot have socialism without democracy, and you cannot have democracy without either socialism or communism.
Typical bourgeois idealism. Only revisionists and liberals place bourgeois concepts like 'democracy' above the dictatorship of the proletariat.


The thing is, the Cuban press is so alienated from the views of the people that, although people will read it to get at least some information through the propaganda, they know very well that the Cuban press is all about defending the party, the state and the old veterans, and not about informing the people as honestly as possible.
Proletarian media must be by definition partisan.

[A New Era]

Typical bourgeois idealism. Only revisionists and liberals place bourgeois concepts like 'democracy' above the dictatorship of the proletariat.It seems like you have misunderstood big time.

The dictatorship of the proletariat is democracy. It seems like what qwerty believes in, is the dictatorship of the party.



Proletarian media must be by definition partisan. Sure, and it has to represent the voice of the people. Which, in Cuba, it doesn't.

That tells us several things. It tells us for one thing, that there is a certain disconnect between the people and the state, which controls the press. It also tells us that state organs like the media is not in the hands of the people, that it does not represent the voice of the people, but that of the party bureaucrats.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

The Cuban media though, is anything but varied.Really? What Cuban media do you read/watch/listen to?

Even National Public Radio, in a recent slander/hit piece on Cuba (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90892712), mentioned criticism in Cuban media:

"[Juventud Rebelde -- the newspaper of the Union of Young Communists] recently ran a critical three-part series on Cuban agriculture. Reporter Dora Perez and a colleague spent weeks talking to farmers and farm workers across the country. They wanted to find out why Cuba, with all its rich farmland, has to import so much food.

"'[We heard] nothing but complaints,' Perez says. 'Our report was very critical. We're bad in agriculture, and we have to say so.'

"Three months later, Perez followed up with another investigative series, this one on education in Cuba. She found out that many Cuban parents were so unhappy with the quality of their kids' schooling that they were hiring private tutors — something once unthinkable here."

In other words, your argument that there is no criticism in Cuban media doesn't fly.

[A New Era]

After the Soviet Union fell, the leash on the cultural elite in Cuba were relaxed a bit. Enough that they could express certain opinions that did not threaten the leadership, but not enough to forget that Fidel was still el jefe.

The criticism in Cuban press is very little and limited though, especially in the newspapers. And those that write in the media has to be careful not to step on the toes of any important figures, or they may get in trouble. There are things you can do. You can criticize problems in the economy without problems. Even Raúl does this. But there are things you just don't do. And those are talking more openly about political things.

The radio in Cuba is actually more free in what they can say, talk about and ask, than the Cuban newspaper press. But again the same rules apply.

[BobKKKindle$]

You can criticize problems in the economy without problems. Even Raúl does this. But there are things you just don't do. And those are talking more openly about political things.

Any criticism of the economy is also a political criticism, because in a planned economy, the government is responsible for the state of the economy. If there was a total absence of press freedom in Cuba, the government would also suppress criticism of the economy (something which clearly does not occur, based on articles published by independent media organizations in Cuba) because persistent failure to address economic problems would be a poor reflection on the ability of the government.

[The Author]

After the Soviet Union fell, the leash on the cultural elite in Cuba were relaxed a bit. Enough that they could express certain opinions that did not threaten the leadership, but not enough to forget that Fidel was still el jefe.

The criticism in Cuban press is very little and limited though, especially in the newspapers. And those that write in the media has to be careful not to step on the toes of any important figures, or they may get in trouble. There are things you can do. You can criticize problems in the economy without problems. Even Raúl does this. But there are things you just don't do. And those are talking more openly about political things.

The radio in Cuba is actually more free in what they can say, talk about and ask, than the Cuban newspaper press. But again the same rules apply.Yes, because we should have what they had in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s. Thanks to such disinformation from the bourgeois intelligentsia, in such broadcasts as Radio Free Europe, the working class was duped into the lies of liberal democratic capitalist enterprise. Look where it got them.

I mean, really, what sort of "criticism" are we talking about here? Criticism of how the socialist system is operating and what direction it is taking? Or "criticism" that the "system" is not following the ideals of liberal democracy with markets? Because almost every time there is some sort of criticism of "lack of freedoms" and "totalitarianism," we're advocating a return to capitalism.

[Qwerty489]

I have to say, it's really interesting to see bourgeois tosspots like New Era who consistently attack real socialist constructions and achievements the world over while also remaining consistently silent on bourgeois liberal regimes.

It's these same ridiculous criticisms of the 'bureaucracy' and 'elite' which the bourgeois use to attack socialist constructions and steadily plan for counter-revolution. And it's bourgeois idealists who sew doubt that allow for this to happen.

I think this needs to be said, these liberal 'socialists' like New Era are no friends of the working class, they are bourgeois Utopians who attack real existing socialism more than they criticize the bourgeois (if they ever criticize it, and if they do they don't criticize the bourgeois mainstream, only the so-called 'far-right').

New Era, you are a class enemy and a bourgeois scumbag who deserved no respect, and deserves to be lined up against the wall just like any other Whiteguard.

[Led Zeppelin]

Qwerty can you please stop flaming so much in your posts, it doesn't really help your argument and only serves to stifle productive discussion on the matter.

[A New Era]

Any criticism of the economy is also a political criticism, because in a planned economy, the government is responsible for the state of the economy. If there was a total absence of press freedom in Cuba, the government would also suppress criticism of the economy (something which clearly does not occur, based on articles published by independent media organizations in Cuba) because persistent failure to address economic problems would be a poor reflection on the ability of the government.

I guess you are right in that respect, yes. You have a point there. However, for the most part, people in Cuba know what they can say and can not, and to whom they can say what.



I mean, really, what sort of "criticism" are we talking about here? Criticism of how the socialist system is operating and what direction it is taking? Or "criticism" that the "system" is not following the ideals of liberal democracy with markets? Because almost every time there is some sort of criticism of "lack of freedoms" and "totalitarianism," we're advocating a return to capitalism.Both. Not just the latter.

Could a journalist start writing about how Fidel made a big mistake in allying with the Soviet Union and becoming so independent on Eastern Europe instead of making a real socialist society in Cuba?

Or how the Cuban government supported a brutal regime in Ethiopia?

Could they talk about changing the electoral system so it becomes less complicated and more direct?

These are topics you shouldn't touch. Even complaining to much about things or criticizing the situation in the workplace can risk your job and risk losing economic rewards, especially if you have a good position.

You can talk about many things, but you really shouldn't touch the "saints", those revolutionaries or point out any mistakes of theirs. In general, they are quite holy, unless Fidel says otherwise.

And even if you contemplated about writing such an article, you wouldn't know what would happen. In Cuba, there are many informal rules, and in one instance an action could be taken against you, while in another instance, the authorities might leave you alone.


Yes, because we should have what they had in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s. Thanks to such disinformation from the bourgeois intelligentsia, in such broadcasts as Radio Free Europe, the working class was duped into the lies of liberal democratic capitalist enterprise. Look where it got them.What are you talking about, and how is it related to the thread?


I have to say, it's really interesting to see bourgeois tosspots like New EraWe are all leftists here or at least, some of us are, and some of us pretend to be! I mean, you have an Enver Hoxha quote about Stalin? When did they ever support the dictatorship of the proletariat? They ruled over the proletariat.

You call me a class traitor, but as long as these are the words coming from a Stalinist (!), I think I am on the right track.

If you are going to blame someone for being a class traitor, take a look at yourself for a moment, qwerty, and after you take a look at your own opinions instead of blaming everyone else, let's have a real constructive discussion here.



who consistently attack real socialist constructions and achievements the world over while also remaining consistently silent on bourgeois liberal regimes.You are again putting words (or lack of it) in other people's mouths.

And also, whether Cuba is socialist or not is actually open for discussion .

In any case, talking about how Cuba really is, is not criticism, it's just a statement of facts. It's funny how when anyone does that, they are being called bourgeois, gusano, reactionary, or whatever.

[RedAnarchist]

I have to say, it's really interesting to see bourgeois tosspots like New Era who consistently attack real socialist constructions and achievements the world over while also remaining consistently silent on bourgeois liberal regimes.

It's these same ridiculous criticisms of the 'bureaucracy' and 'elite' which the bourgeois use to attack socialist constructions and steadily plan for counter-revolution. And it's bourgeois idealists who sew doubt that allow for this to happen.

I think this needs to be said, these liberal 'socialists' like New Era are no friends of the working class, they are bourgeois Utopians who attack real existing socialism more than they criticize the bourgeois (if they ever criticize it, and if they do they don't criticize the bourgeois mainstream, only the so-called 'far-right').

New Era, you are a class enemy and a bourgeois scumbag who deserved no respect, and deserves to be lined up against the wall just like any other Whiteguard.

Bourgeois this and Bourgeois that! You sound like a stereotype straight from McCarthyite America or any silly movie that depicts "Communists":lol:

[Sam_b]

I really understand this. This really should be taken as a granted, but when it comes in regards to countries such as Cuba, its apparently something fantastic to be revered?

"Cuba supports press freedom"? Fantastic! You should have been supporting this anyway. Now let's see a press release about Cuba installing democratic worker's control. That really would be something.