Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The Miami Herald's Puzzle (Part 1)

This past Sunday, the Miami Herald published the last part of a three-part report on Cuba. The report was evidently titled "The Cuba Puzzle" in a convenient attempt to give a name to the various issues discussed. The first part of the report tries to set in motion what the "puzzle" is about, but gives the reader three basic descriptions:

- Understanding "a new phase of uncertainty" after Fidel Castro's illness.

- Understanding the "key players from Cuba to Miami to Caracas and Madrid [as they] jockey for position to influence the island's future."

- Understanding Miami "exiles' hopes and trepidations" about Cuba that they have been trying "to make sense of" for about 48 years.

While the Herald report does cover several topics "to make sense of," in my opinion, The Cuba Puzzle is not at all puzzling, but rather a bland summary of events and opinions that have occurred since July 31, the day Fidel Castro stepped down as head of the Cuban government. Still, the summary, carried out "for the past two months," by a "dozen reporters" from the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, is a decent introduction to the most recent events, and well researched too.

There is nothing really newsworthy about this Cuba Puzzle, but the report does deliver an excellent collection of diverse views about Cuba, some presented in audio, or video, on its own website that provides many worthwhile extras.

The downside of the report is that it provides no new insight, or interpretation about Cuba's future based on its own research. Instead, most of the report relies on familiar voices and opinions that have already graced the pages of the Herald, and also other local media outlets in Miami.

In other words, its not really an objective view on Cuba. It's mostly Miami's view.

Let's examine.

[Part 2]

No comments: