Across The Media Universe
Well, in the wake of rumors that Fidel Castro may be on his deathbed, $377,500 is now being spent "to air select programs on South Florida broadcast stations over the next six months, using loopholes in a law that prohibits the propaganda channels from distribution within the United States." While the stations have primarily U.S. audiences, experts told the Miami Herald that signals from a South Florida AM radio station can reach Cuba "very clearly at night." While the U.S. Office of Cuba Broadcasting argues the move is "another method to get our signal in," critics argue the move is political. Joe García, executive vice president of the New Democratic Network, called the investment "a fraud." He told the Herald: "This is using taxpayer dollars for a political payoff to benefit the most Republican and politically charged radio station in Miami. They know well that the station isn't heard in Cuba, because Cuba transmits Radio Rebelde over the exact same frequency."
More Drama In Santa Barbara: In case you don't follow the journalistic drama that's been plaguing Santa Barbara's community, let us fill you in. This past July, nearly every top editor and several employees of the Santa Barbara News-Press abruptly left the paper. American Journalism Review reporter Susan Paterno wrote an article in AJR's recent issue about the melee, called "Santa Barbara Smackdown," in which she "talked with former staffers, some of whom accused News-Press owner and publisher Wendy McCaw of meddling in the newsroom." Now the company that publishes the News-Press is suing Paterno for "libel and product disparagement," according to the AP. In a court filing, the company calls the article "nothing but a biased, false and misleading diatribe against plaintiff." AJR's Senior Vice President told the AP that "the article was carefully reported and News-Press management had 'ample' opportunity to respond to questions but refused."
Reporters Supoenaed: In other journalism-related litigation, The San Francisco Chronicle (whose reporters are appealing prison sentences of up to 18 months for refusing to disclose the sources of secret grand jury testimony regarding the BALCO steroids case) reports that "Army prosecutors have sent subpoenas to journalists in Oakland and Honolulu demanding testimony about quotes they attributed to an officer who faces a court-martial after denouncing the war in Iraq and refusing to deploy with his unit."
One of the reporters, Sarah Olson, wouldn't say whether she would comply. If she refuses, she could be jailed. According to an Army spokesman, "The Army would like to verify with the reporters that the story or stories that they have written are accurate representations" of their interviews with the court-martialed officer, 1st Lt. Ehren Watada. Olson told the Chronicle, "It's not a reporter's job to participate in the prosecution of her own sources,'' but acknowledged that she has no legal grounds not to testify, because she is being asked to confirm the quotes from Watada that she reported -- not to disclose confidential sources.