CUBA: THE MASS MEDIA INTO QUESTION

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HAVANA, Sep 17 2008 (IPS) - The shortcomings of the Cuban media are due not to a lack of professional ability or to technical or financial deficiencies but rather to entrenched ways of thinking. As in other sectors -agriculture, the service industry, and home construction- there is a clear need for a less centralised and less uniform model, writes Rafael Hernandez, a political commentator and editor of the journal Temas in Havana. In this article Hernandez writes: the national debate that developed in September and October 2007 after the July 26 speech by then interim president Raul Castro showed not only that is there unmuzzled criticism of the government by Cuban civil society but also that channelling it through the Cuban media reinforces the general attitude towards the government. This debate revealed that Cubans disagree strongly with the mass media, which they criticise for not reflecting their national reality or giving sufficient space to Cuban public opinion, for its repetition of slogans, and for its \”excessive politicisation\”. Democratic debate, with complete clarity and confidence on the part of the state, cannot be limited by the fear that there might be an attempt from outside the country to take advantage of the situation, Raul Castro stated on July 26 – \”because sooner or later the truth will come out\”. The implementation of this policy will make it possible for the real Cuba, a vibrant and diverse civil society in contrast to its usual representation as uniform mass, to fully express itself.

The national debate that developed in September and October 2007 after the July 26 speech by then interim president Raul Castro showed not only that is there unmuzzled criticism of the government by Cuban civil society but also that channelling it through the Cuban media reinforces the general attitude towards the government.

This debate revealed that Cubans disagree strongly with the their mass media, which they criticise for not reflecting their national reality or giving sufficient space to Cuban public opinion, for its repetition of slogans, and for its “excessive politicisation”.

To make the airing of public opinion on the island more systematic, the most obvious approach would be to use the Cuban mass media, which are entirely state-run and owned. Among these, the most popular, dynamic, and effective, though the least followed by those who write and opine on Cuba in the rest of the world, is the radio.

In fact, Cuban radio has broadcast opinion and debate shows, some as old as Straight Talking, on Rebel Radio, and High Tension, of CMHW (Santa Clara). Especially with the opening of regional and educational TV channels, programming has broadened and improved, adding considerable room for opinion pieces, such as Triangle of Confidence (Havana Channel). Some of the most recent changes have even included the print media. In addition to the letters to the editor section, the Sunday edition of the paper Rebel Youth publishes analysis, as does the weekly Bohemia; and the Friday edition of the official paper, Granma, presents critical opinions from the public. In some cases state agencies have felt compelled to respond as part of a mechanism that has still not become fully functional.

The shortcomings of the Cuban media are due not to a lack of professional ability or to technical or financial deficiencies but rather to entrenched ways of thinking. As in other sectors -agriculture, the service industry, and home construction- there is a clear need for a less centralised and less uniform model.

Of course, structurally changing the operation of the Cuban media without changing their public nature, and differentiating between the official voicepieces of the State and those of the Party, is simpler in theory than in practice. However, the recognition of this distinction already exists to some degree. In effect, Granma, the official paper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, the publications cultural institutions -Catauro, El Caiman Barbudo or The Gazette of Cuba; Caminos, of the Martin Luther King Christian centre, or Alma Mater, of the Federation of University Students- all respond to a range of social sectors and different visions. According to the Ministry of Culture’s figures from 2006, there are 67 registered electronic publications accessible to anyone in or outside Cuba. The Computing Ministry figures of the last two years show 260,000 users of the Internet (mostly institutions, schools, universities, youth organisations, etc) and almost a million email account holders; in addition there are 1400 registered Cuban domain names (.cu) on the Internet. Quite a good start, though far outstripped by demand.

What are the obstacles to broadening the diversity of and access to the major media in Cuba? Democratic debate, with complete clarity and confidence on the part of the state, cannot be limited by the fear that there might be an attempt from outside the country to take advantage of the situation, Raul Castro stated on July 26 – “because sooner or later the truth will come out”.

The implementation of this policy will make it possible for the real Cuba, a vibrant and diverse civil society in contrast to its usual representation as uniform mass, to fully express itself. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)