One of the first things that one will notice when arriving in Cuba is the pervasiveness of government messages. Instead of a smattering of advertisements on billboards, the streets are cloaked with messages from Fidel, Ché, and the Cuban Five. In defense of socialism. Bush the Terrorist. Moving beyond still life, you will find cafes and bus stops ripe with rich conversation on the ideals of the Cuban nation. Unfortunately, for Cubans, the media belongs to the government, and thus the ideas that fill the streets are not reflected in the daily news.
There are two daily papers in Cuba, supplemented with one national weekly. At 20 pesetas a piece (0.3 US cents), these 10 page papers are widely consumed. Senior citizens stand anxiously in line hoping to get one of the limited copies, and then resell it later in the day to someone who was unable to make it to the newsstand before opening hours. For most Cubans, this is the extent of their daily (read) news consumption. Once we left Habana, the access and supply to these papers become increasingly more scarce.
For those who do not live in the major port cities, they must rely on TV and radio for their government news. Though telenovelas (similar to soap operas) are the most popular shows the viewing schedule of these shows are contingent upon how much party news is on the agenda for any given day.
I do not mean to be misleading—not all media is government propagated. The black market provides plentiful access for foreign films and media. Small shops lining the main roads are walled with everything from Discovery Channel specials to recent episodes of the Big Bang Theory. Therefore, other medias can be consumed, but it is at one’s own risk: buyer beware. Consumption of this material is not authorized by the government and purchasing of it is a punishable offense.*
*Not actually advertised, simply the sentiments on the streets.
- Becky Walker
No comments:
Post a Comment