Government paid journalists to report on Cuba

Government paid journalists to report on Cuba

"At least 10 South Florida journalists, including three from its own El
Nuevo Herald, received regular payments from the U.S. government for
programs on Radio Martí and TV Martí, two broadcasters aimed at
undermining the communist government of Fidel Castro," The Miami Herald
reports today.

According to the Herald, the payments totaled thousands of dollars over
several years. ...

Jesús Díaz Jr., president of the Miami Herald Media Co. and publisher of
both newspapers, said the payments violated a ''sacred trust'' between
journalists and the public.

Iván Román, executive director of the National Association of Hispanic
Journalists, told the Herald that the payments from TV and Radio Martí
posed a clear conflict of interest.

One of the journalists, Juan Manuel Cao of Channel 41 in Miami, defended
his work. ''There is nothing suspect in this,'' he told the Herald. "I
would do it for free. But the regulations don't allow it. I charge
symbolically, below market prices."

According to the Herald, the reporters who earned the most from the
arrangement were two who were employed by El Nuevo Herald and another
who was a freelance contributor to the newspaper. It said Pablo Alfonso,
who reported on Cuba and wrote an opinion column, was paid almost
$175,000 since 2001 to host shows on Radio Martí and TV Martí. El Nuevo
Herald freelance reporter Olga Connor received about $71,000, and staff
reporter Wilfredo Cancio Isla was paid almost $15,000 in the last five
years.

Alfonso and Cancio have been dismissed by the newspaper. Connor's
freelance relationship with the newspaper has been ended.

The Herald said Alfonso and Cancio declined to comment. Connor was said
to be unavailable for comment.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/09/government_paid.html