U.S. paid anti-Castro journalists in Miami: paper

[ProSense]

U.S. paid anti-Castro journalists in Miami: paper

Fri Sep 8, 11:24 AM ET

MIAMI (Reuters) - At least 10 Florida journalists received regular payments from a U.S. government program aimed at undermining the Cuban government of Fidel Castro, The Miami Herald reported on Friday.

Total payments since 2001 ranged from $1,550 to $174,753 per journalist, according to the newspaper, which said it found no instance in which those involved had disclosed that they were being paid by the U.S. Office of Cuba Broadcasting.

Snip...

Journalism ethics experts called the payments a fundamental conflict of interest that undermines the credibility of reporters meant to objectively cover issues affecting U.S. policy toward Cuba.

They compared it to the case of Armstrong Williams in 2005, when it was revealed that the Bush administration had paid the prominent conservative pundit to promote its education policy, No Child Left Behind, on his nationally syndicated television show.

Jesus Diaz 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.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060908/pl_nm/usa_cuba_journalists_dc

[ProSense]

1. Miami Paper Fires 3 Who Took Gov't Money

Miami Paper Fires 3 Who Took Gov't Money

The Associated Press

MIAMI - Ten South Florida journalists, including three with The Miami Herald's Spanish-language sister paper, received thousands of dollars from the federal government for their work on radio and TV programming aimed at undermining Fidel Castro's communist regime, the Herald reported Friday.

Pablo Alfonso, who reports on Cuba and wrote an opinion column for El Nuevo Herald, was paid almost $175,000 since 2001 to host shows on Radio and TV Marti, U.S. government programs that promote democracy in Cuba, according to government documents obtained by The Miami Herald.

Olga Connor, a freelance reporter who wrote about Cuban culture for El Nuevo Herald, received about $71,000 from the U.S. Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and staff reporter Wilfredo Cancio Isla, who covered the Cuban exile community and politics, was paid almost $15,000 in the last five years, the Herald said.

The newspaper said Alfonso and Cancio were fired and Connor's freelance relationship was severed.

more...

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/1-09082006-709567.html

[ngant17]

2. The objectivity of the Miami Herald?

Is this surprising that the Miami Herald would be willing to run these stories, on what amounts to collusion with the US gov. pys-ops campaign against Cuba?

These are just the ones that were publically exposed in such a blatant manner that they were caught. So to save face, the Herald had to dump them.

No doubt that action will only enhance their resumes and job prospects in this part of Florida and perhaps other places where rightwing propaganda is encouraged.

Even more hypocritical and perverse is when the same Miami Herald denounces Cuban journalists simply because of the fact that they are paid as state workers there, so that must automatically make them baised in their reporting of the news in Cuba.