February 8, 2010
Rosa Martinez
HAVANA TIMES, Feb. 8 – I'm not a faithful follower of the popular
Brazilian soap operas shown on Cuban TV. However, a character in the
current soap, La Favorita, has inspired me to spend a few minutes
watching that series at least once a week.
I admire Ze Bob, a young journalist who constantly criticizes the
corrupt legislator Romildo Rosa, and who doesn't fear being beaten or
murdered in the defense of his ideas.
If this were a true story, Ze Bob would not be the first or the last
reporter to get a good hammering for saying what he "shouldn't."
There are many examples of journalists from around the world who have
been murdered for writing some article uncovering corruption or crime or
for simply being where they shouldn't.
Fortunately, in Cuba that doesn't happen. Nonetheless, journalists in
Cuba suffer the sentence of a partial silence.
For 51 years, the media has always been behind the Revolution, in its
successes and mistakes. It has faithfully reflected the main
achievements in health care, education, science, sports and other
fields. But unfortunately this same press has not reflected in an equal
manner the main social problems that affect the population.
Justifications
There are many the reasons that can explain why "the newspapers go in
one direction and Cuban life in the other."
The first is self-censorship: the fear of making statements that can
create problems with the authorities or with the management of the press
itself.
Secondly, deficiencies existing in the country and within its
revolutionary process cannot be mentioned openly, this is said to be
done to "prevent counter-revolutionary forces from taking advantage of
these weaknesses."
The third could be any justification that avoids addressing the
challenges posed by Cuba's problems, which are similar to those in other
societies around the world.
Censorship in Cuban journalism, which brings with it limitations in free
expression, is not the only problem faced by the Cuban media, but it is
indeed the most worrisome, especially for the younger generations. This
is the main reason many prefer not to go into this profession, in
addition to the low wages it pays.
The Media and Cuban Women
When the media speak of Cuban woman, they inventory their achievements
over the more than 50 years of revolution, citing their opportunities
for work and advancement, as well as their primary medical attention,
especially for pregnant females.
Cuban mother. Photo: Caridad
But why doesn't anyone speak about the women who die every year at the
hands of murderous husbands, or of Juana or Carmen who have been
frequent victims of battery and abuse?
They say that the Cuban population is one of the most elderly in Latin
America, and the country's leaders are calling for an increase in the
number of births. But no one clearly explains that Cuban women are
having only one child, or two at the most, because people's economic
situation is generally bad, and that wages don't stretch to feed a
single person, much less a child; or that in many cases three or more
married couples share a single home.
It is frequently mentioned that the United States hasn't given a visa to
some Cuban artist to travel for a concert or to an athlete to
participate in some important competition, but it's not said anywhere
that Cubans citizens are denied the right to travel freely, even when
they have the money necessary to do so.
When speaking of health care the press mentions the thousands of doctors
who graduate every year and the thousands who are providing their
services all over the world at no cost to the patients, often under
extreme conditions like in Haiti.
So why do they deny the Cuban public an explanation for the causes that
recently produced the tragic deaths at the Havana Psychiatric Hospital,
also known as Mazorra? Why wait for the foreign media to give us their
version of the events?
There are many examples of issues that could be investigated and
published by our media in a critical and profound manner, but I would
need a whole day to list them.
The Cuban people are a learned and well-educated population, which has
always been a premise of the Revolution. This is why I don't understand
the fear of sharp criticism, timely suggestions and sincere
forewarnings. We are a society where people are taught to think for
ourselves and to draw own conclusions.
I think that pointing out difficulties can only do the revolutionary
process good. To "cover the sun with one's finger", or to turn a blind
eye, is not the solution.
Cuba's Press & Telling the Truth - Havana Times.org (8 February 2010)
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=19428
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