Posted on 08/07/2006 4:41:23 PM PDT by Kitten Festival
Cuba: Why are U.S. reporters, who know about watching what they say, putting ordinary Cubans on the spot and in danger as the island's tyranny begins to totter?
The mainstream media embedded in Havana know very well what it's like to tiptoe around as journalists in Fidel Castro's totalitarian state.
They're followed by Cuba's G-2 agents. Their phone calls are monitored. Anyone they contact is questioned. And either they're careful of what they write or they're expelled.
But that's why what they're presenting as news from Havana is just a whiff disgraceful. They are presenting Cuba as this normal country where they can ask Cubans on the street how they feel about the passing of the brutal communist tyrant who's ruled their island prison for 47 years.
Naturally, the Cubans tell them things like this:
"We've been asked to keep things normal here and to make sure that the revolution continues."
"Every Cuban trusts Raul and every one of our leaders. . . . We are certain that the revolution will continue."
"Fidel is a leader, but there are many leaders here, like his brother." ...
Some journalism. And what a coincidence that all of these "spontaneous" statements just happen to match the Cuban regime's official line exactly.
The reason this is happening has nothing to do with the fact that we've yet to see reported in detail: no one speaks freely inside Cuba.
For saying the wrong thing to a reporter, Cubans can lose their homes. They can get their ration books torn up. They might get attacked by a Castroite mob in what's known as a "repudiation" and lose their access to Cuba's substandard health care. According to Val Prieto of Babalublog.com, "access to education is what goes first." One stray word and Cubans can lose it all.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
In other words, they can't tell the truth about Cuba without risking expulsion?
Then what's the point of their being there?
Oh, I forgot: CNN doesn't let such questions trouble them.
See the movie "Absence of Malice." It's a real education in media mores.
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