Cuban ex-president asserts that those who manage the "centers that produce the news for the whole planet" decide what gets reported and how it gets reported![](http://web.archive.org./web/20120124051847im_/http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FxCl-zDjIOQ/SgVcTueTMjI/AAAAAAAAEDg/pElYZO8mEQc/s400/freespeech.jpg)
By Justin Delacour
Latin America News Review
May 9, 2009
When Fidel Castro
suggested yesterday that Cuba's state-controlled press was no more manipulative than the corporate-controlled media of capitalist societies, it is doubtful that any mainstream American journalist actually contemplated the point. After 50 years of the United States' crude demonization of Castro, it would be safe to assume that many if not most Americans dismiss Castro's words reflexively, on the basis of their preconceptions about the man.
Thus, I suggest we set aside our preconceptions about Castro for a moment and simply consider whether he makes any valid points about the nature of the major media in capitalist societies. Below, I republish the
Associated Press' quotes and paraphrases of Castro's recent statements and then pose some questions about them.
Fidel Castro defended Cuba's government-controlled press Friday, arguing that news coverage is manipulated by those wealthy enough to finance newsgathering even in countries guaranteeing press freedom.
In a column posted on a state Web site, the 82-year-old ex-president wrote that "today, only through gigantic investments can you provide centers that produce the news for the whole planet.
"And only those who manage them decide what gets reported and how it gets reported," he said.
Setting aside the problems with a state-controlled press (which Castro ignores), is it not true that, within capitalist societies, most major newsgathering is controlled by wealthy corporate conglomerates?
Is it not true that the corporate owners and managers of major U.S. media make the key decisions about who will be in charge of hiring, promoting, supervising and firing journalists and deciding what stories are assigned, to whom they are assigned, whether to accept, alter or reject copy, and where to place stories in the news format?
In sum, is it not true that news coverage in capitalist societies is "manipulated by those wealthy enough to finance newsgathering"?