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US 'paid anti-Cuba journalists'
09/09/2006 11:53 - (SA)
Miami - Ten South Florida journalists were reportedly paid thousands of dollars by the federal government for broadcasts aimed at undermining Cuban President Fidel Castro.
Pablo Alfonso, who reported on Cuba and wrote an opinion column for El Nuevo Herald - the Miami Herald's Spanish-language sister paper - was paid almost $175 000 since 2001 by the US Office of Cuba Broadcasting to host shows on Radio and TV Marti, according to government documents obtained by The Miami Herald, which reported the story on Friday.
Olga Connor, a freelance reporter who wrote about Cuban culture for El Nuevo Herald, received about $71 000, 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 Miami Herald reported.
Alberto Mascaro, chief of staff of the US Cuban broadcasting office, confirmed to The Associated Press that all 10 journalists had received payments but said he did not have the details and declined to comment further.
Alfonso and Cancio were fired and Connor's freelance relationship with the paper was ended.
Alfonso and Cancio declined to comment to the Herald. The three did not respond to e-mails seeking comment sent by the AP.
Jesus Diaz Jr, president of the Miami Herald Media Co. and publisher of both newspapers, said the individuals violated a "sacred trust" between journalists and the public.
"I personally don't believe that integrity and objectivity can be assured if any of our reporters receive monetary compensation from any entity that he or she may cover or have covered, but particularly if it's a government agency," he told the Herald.
Al Tompkins, a professor at the Poynter Institute for journalism, agreed that journalists are obligated to inform their employers before they accept outside work and must avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
But he added that newspapers are responsible for ensuring that everyone in the newsroom understands their ethical standards.
The AP's e-mail and phone messages for Diaz were referred to Robert Beatty,
Also listed as receiving more than $11 400 this year was WJAN-TV reporter Manuel Cao, who got into a videotaped confrontation with Cuban President Fidel Castro in July during the Mercosur Summit in Argentina.
During the fiery exchange, Cao questioned why Castro won't allow a prominent doctor and dissident to leave Cuba.
"Who pays you?" demanded Castro.
"No one pays me to ask questions, that is my job," Cao yelled back.
The Cuban government has long accused the United States of paying South Florida journalists to promote anti-government propaganda.
- AP
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