U.S. journalism courses empower Cubans to fight censorship

Thirty Cubans are taking journalism courses taught by U.S. professors, despite risking arrest and harassment. The U.S. Interests Section in Havana, which replaced the U.S. Embassy in 1977, hosts the free weekly sessions via video link. The U.S. Interests Section also offers English and technology classes.

The courses encourage independent, objective journalism free from intimidation from state-censorship. Most media in Cuba are state-controlled, making independent reporting difficult. A few blogs and news websites survive, but internet is limited and expensive.

Yoani Sanchez’s website 14ymedio.com reports on daily life in Cuba, offers dissenting political opinions, and even gives practical agricultural reports. Sanchez and her multinational team have a clever process to bypass state censorship. Writing about capitalism and business is illegal, but her team operates as licensed freelance typists.

Cuba currently blocks the site, so Sanchez emails news updates to correspondents in Spain and Miami who upload the content to the website. In a recent panel discussion at George Mason University, she said, “To me, creativity is opening a window when the door is shut.”

Sanchez says technology is the key to freedom: “My followers look out for me.” Once she tweeted as police shoved her into a squad car, which saved her from abuse and arrest. The real enemy of Cuban reporters is self-censorship, she says.

Technology not only arms and equips independent journalists, but also provides Cuban citizens with independence from and defense against the government. Sanchez encourages American visitors to bring devices like memory sticks, cellphones, and laptops to Cuba and leave them with Cuban nationals.

President Raul Castro recently complained to reporters about the U.S. Interests Section’s “illegal” activities. Although the State Department says it supports independent journalists, the free journalism classes may be threatened if they get in the way of recent diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.