Radio Marti Highlights Growing Role of Bloggers in Cuba
Radio Marti aired a five-part series highlighting the growing role bloggers are playing in Cuban society. Via personal stories, art work, short documentaries and general commentaries, bloggers have taken an increasingly prominent role by providing a window into daily life in Cuba.
The Radio Marti series featured interviews with:
Yoani Sanchez, Cuba’s best known blogger and author of Generation Y, who received the Jose Ortega y Gasset award for digital journalism in 2008, the most important award for journalists in the Spanish language. Her blog was named among the best in the world in 2009 according to Time magazine.
Claudia Cadelo, a poet, artist and author of the blog Octavo Circle who began her blog after Cuban rocker Gorki Aguila was imprisoned, tried and fined. She is part of the group called Itinerarios Bloggers, who offer seminars to people interested in learning about the Internet.
Eugenio Leal, author of the blog Veritas, which offers a portrait of daily life in the island.
Dimas Castellanos, a former professor of Marxist Philosophy, author of the blog of Dimas. He also writes for a number of digital publications outside Cuba. His blog contains social and political commentaries.
Manuel Aguirre Lavarrere, writer, poet and television producer, and author of the blog Makandal, whose work focuses on racial relations in Cuba. He writes about the need to stop racial discrimination not only for blacks but for Cubans in general who do not enjoy the same rights as foreigners who visit or live in Cuba.
Each of the episodes is approximately three minutes long and features a different blogger. The series is available at Martinoticias.com and at the Martinoticias YouTube page.
The Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which is funded by the U.S. government through the presidentially appointed Broadcasting Board of Governors, was established in 1990 to oversee the operations of Radio and TV Mart