- Title: Independent media in Cuba seeks to fill information gap amid protests
- Date: 17th July 2021
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EDITOR OF CUBAN NEWS OUTLET "EL TOQUE", JESSICA DOMINGUEZ, SAYING: "The official discourse is that these are not protests, but on July 11 there were protests on the streets. People who basically had nothing to lose went out to the streets, people from the suburbs who have to queue up at stores, the ones who probably have nothing to eat. The intellectuals did not go out, even though some artists were amongst those who were on the streets. But there were young people, old people, people of all ages, mainly poor people, people who are not involved in politics. People who live the consequences of politics. What happened was a social outburst, and that social outburst was followed by unmeasured repression from security bodies and the police in general terms. It is true that the context of the protests saw acts of vandalism, robberies, the looting of stores. You could not expect any less, it was the first time Cubans were out on the streets. These were not organised protests, so no one can say how they should have been done." JOURNALISTS FROM "EL TOQUE" LOOKING AT THEIR HOMEPAGE ON COMPUTER
- Embargoed: 31st July 2021 14:55
- Keywords: Cuba Havana media news press
- Location: HAVANA, CUBA
- City: HAVANA, CUBA
- Country: Cuba
- Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003EM8ABEV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Online independent media has emerged as a key factor in recent protests in Cuba, with citizens increasingly turning to the web for information outside of the traditional state press.
The introduction of mobile internet just over two years ago and the subsequent flourishing of social media and independent news outlets in Cuba has been a key factor behind the protests.
"El Toque" is one of Cuba's most read digital news sources, reporting on the factors that fuelled Sunday's (July 11) protest against the government and providing alternative coverage to state-sanctioned media.
These tools have given Cubans a platform to share and amplify their frustrations and enabled the word to get out quickly when people are on the street, analysts say.
But Cuba's government, which has long had a monopoly on mass media, has warned citizens against believing news and images shared on social media that may have been manipulated.
Early reports of protests on Sunday were also followed swiftly by internet outages and restrictions on social media and messaging platforms.
(Production: Nelson Gonzalez, Anett Rios, Nina Lopez, Paul Vieira) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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