National News in Cuba - 6 Bloggers Who Cover Nation

National News in Cuba: 6 Bloggers Who Cover Nation
By Brigitte Yuille | Sunday, 13 Dec 2015 01:11 AM

Cuba's state-run media has been one source for national news in Cuba,
but a community of bloggers is providing a new and powerful alternative.
Their blogs share the realities of life in Cuba and advocate for change
by denouncing certain government policies and requesting the government
address citizens' concerns.

Access to the Internet is limited and expensive in Cuba. According to
the White House Press Secretary's 2014 "Charting a New Course on Cuba"
fact sheet, "Cuba has an Internet penetration of about five percent –
one of the lowest rates in the world." The ability to get on the
Internet is most common in state-run workplaces like universities and
research centers, but the new relationship the United States will have
with Cuba includes improved Internet access on the island. The U.S. is
committed to expanding telecommunication services and significant
technology throughout Cuba. As a result, the prominence of Cuba's
network of bloggers will likely increase.

Here are six Cuban bloggers who cover the national news in Cuba.

1. Sandra Álvarez
Psychologist and journalist Sandra Álvarez authors the "Negra Cubana
Tenía que Ser." It offers an insightful analysis about gender studies,
sexual diversity, and racial discrimination. She has collaborated with
the National Center for Sexual Education and the Center for the
Prevention of STDs, HIV, and AIDS to inform and educate her audience.
She described her blog as a way to discuss issues that don't appear in
the press, the Havana Times reported.

2. Claudia Cadelo
Claudia Cadelo mixes her analysis of the national news in Cuba with her
feelings about her daily life in the country in her blog, Octavo Cerco.
She writes about the lack of access to mass media and the low Internet
connectivity. Cadelo's activism arose after seeing Cuban rocker Gorki
Aguila imprisoned, tried, and fined, she told All Things D in an online
article. Aguila was part of a rock group that promoted an
anti-establishment message.

3. Elaine Díaz
Journalist and professor Elaine Díaz posts on Global Voices and La
Polémecia Digital have not only addressed social problems but also
problems with online expression in Cuba, Midcoast Forum reported. She
has written for Cuban and international outlets and teaches courses at
the University of Havana on digital journalism, communication,
technology and society, and alternative journalism. She's received a
fellowship at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.

4. Reinaldo Escobar
Reinaldo Escobar writes Desde Aquí, and he addresses topics that he said
on his site "fill his head every day, but that cannot find a space in
the official Cuban media." Escobar is the editor-in-chief of
14ymedio.com and the leader of the opposition group Somos Más. He has
worked as an independent journalist since 1989 and received his
journalism degree from the University of Havana. He is married to Yoani
Sanchez, another activist and blogger detailed below.

5. Carlos Alberto Pérez
Carlos Alberto Pérez maintains the blog La Chiringa de Cuba. His job
with the Ministry of Communication has allowed him access to the
Internet at work and in his home in Havana, according to The New York
Times. Pérez is known for his controversial post about the fraud and
cheating that occurred with the country's college entrance exams, Nieman
Reports said.

6. Yoani Sánchez
When Yoani Sánchez's blog Generación Y emerged, its popularity disturbed
government officials for its criticism of the country's leaders and
dissident views. Sánchez has become Cuba's best-known blogger. In March
2013, DipNote, the U.S. Department of State's official blog, reported
that Generacíon Y received 12 million hits a month. The blog has since
been translated into nearly two dozen languages. Yoani Sánchez and her
blog have received many accolades. In 2009, her blog was named among the
best in the world, according to Time magazine. In 2013, Sánchez received
the Secretary of State's International Woman of Courage Award. Sánchez,
along with a group of journalists, is continuing her efforts to promote
change by starting a general-interest online news site called
14YMedio.com that's based in Cuba.

Source: National News in Cuba: 6 Bloggers Who Cover Nation -
http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/Cuba-national-news-bloggers/2015/12/13/id/705570/