January 01, 2009

Report Card for NYT piece on Cuban Revolution's 50th Anniversary

Here's the fourth in a series of report cards on coverage of the Cuban revolution's 50th anniversary. I am using this grading system which is written from castro, inc's point of view.

The piece is from the New York Times, the media outlet that is most responsible for creating the myth of fidel castro.

+10 for implying that the embargo is at least partially to blame for Cuba's hardships

+10 for calling Batista a "strong man" without using the same expression for raul or fidel castro

+10 for calling raul castro "president"

+20 for the obligatory mention of Cuba's "advances" in education and health care

-10 for mentioning that Cuba has an "emigration" problem

-10 for mentioning lack of job opportunities

+10 for pointing out that the U.S. isn't joining international "efforts to make Cuba less isolated."

+10 BONUS points for quoting someone from the Inter-American Dialogue who characterizes U.S. policy as "dithering"

+10 for mentioning the longevity of the regime and referencing the 10 U.S. administrations it's outlasted.

-10 for using the word "communist"

+10 BONUS for omitting the words/phrases "freedom, liberty, human rights, democracy, and prisoners" completely from the piece.

+10 BONUS for excluding any quotes from any experts who are critical of the regime.

Verdict: +75 is decent in comparison to some of the other reports we've seen but still trails the shill job done by Anita Snow for the Associated Press. The NYT appears to have lost a bit of its fervor for castro inc. The regime needs to do a better infiltrating the Old Gray Lady.

UPDATE: If you want to know the real scoop about the Cuban revolution then read this column by Carlos Eire who is a Cuban exile, a Yale professor, and a National Book Award Winner. Needless to say his work won't score well with the regime.

Posted by Henry Louis Gomez at January 1, 2009 03:59 PM

Comments

Henry,

You did the Old Grey Hussy an injustice! She may be getting saggier and uglier by the minute, but she's still as competitive as that young whipper snapper Anita! So in deference to the smelly old vieja, I must protest! The hag deserves a 70, not a 65! She did mention the 10 administrations that castro has outlived. See below:

Cuba marked the 50th anniversary of its revolution on Thursday...its Communist leaders exalted the resilience of a political system that has endured 10 United States administrations.

Posted by: Rayarena [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 1, 2009 04:48 PM

Ray, I stand corrected. Duly noted.

Posted by: Henry Louis Gomez [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 1, 2009 05:03 PM

Do the writers at the Old Red Lady not see the idiocy of their own writing?

A system that undergoes 10 peaceful changes of administration in 50 years (no to mention all the others over the past 230+ years) is the resilient one.

Unless, I guess, the NYT sees the election of someone from the party they are opposed to as a change of "system".

What a waste of good newsprint.

Posted by: Lazaro [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 1, 2009 08:22 PM


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