Miguel Diaz-Canel, Politburo member and first vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, raised the need for the media to move from the first half of 2014 on the fundamental issues that have been under discussion since the conclusion of the IX Upec Congress.
“Congress raised hopes. There is already a way in which progress has been made. We have done things, but you have to work harder and make progress on key issues. We must avoid starting to bore, “Diaz-Canel said during a meeting with the senior leadership of the Upec, in which Rolando Alfonso Borges, head of the Ideological Department, also participated.
Díaz-Canel mentioned among these quality issues, the controls on what people are contributing, continuing the fight against secrecy, improvement and professionalism, culture of redacting, Party-press relationship, redesigning profiles in the media, the material support to the press and communication strategies.
During the sixth meeting of the Upec Presidency with Diaz – Canel from the IX Congress, President Antonio Molto informed about the response of the International Institute of Journalism José Martí to central government agencies on the various course modules to contribute to the pictures of these institutions are better prepared to face the challenges of communication and new technologies. There are already six agencies that are interested in such courses that will be on terms that allow the Institute to face its economic costs.
Another issue discussed was the Second Plenum of the National Committee of the Upec to be held on January 11 , where the President will report on issues such as the process developed with the boards of central government agencies, led by the party where the Upec leadership has participated , in which they have addressed the issue of secrecy . The plenary will also analyze and approve the Regulations of income, readmissions, transfers and dismissals and Regulations of the Code of Ethics.
Moltó also suggested that the Plenary shall approve a proposal for the rivalry between the base delegations from next year. “We have to radically change the emulation system we’ve had,” he said. The proposal includes in March next year the Presidency of the organization to celebrate the Day of the Cuban Press in all provinces, not in any particular, although recognizing the most outstanding.
Here, Diaz-Canel said it was important that the best journalists and top media are recognized.
Moltó also noted that Upec is working on a formula to produce a ranking of media and has already met with some specialists to analyze the parameters to be considered in such a complex issue.
Finding formulas for the further promotion of the best professionals in management positions in the media, it was also a matter raised during this meeting. It has been doing for the Upec a study in this issue, which has yet to be concluded in the national media. This topic will be the highlight of the second plenary session of the National Committee.
Díaz-Canel, later, made some examples of malpractice in some environments which are not conducive to group discussion and, instead, imposed decisions, which affect the result of the creative work of journalism.
It was also reported the first creative workshops held at the National TV. Workshops in the sports channel, TeleRebelde, and educational channels have already been conducted. Molto mentioned some identified problems, including the TV as a system, which will require further analysis. He also noted that they have appreciated resistance to change in our own ranks.
Here, Diaz-Canel said: “I think we have to keep fighting and that the main problem is the professionalism. We are calling to do critical work, to denounce social indiscipline, to work on economic development guidelines approved by the Congress Party, but what has been done is little. “
Topics like softball among media members’ championship and Media Festival in Holguin province formed part of the information transferred by the Presidency to Diaz-Canel. “This year we saved Softball League, in collaboration with Villa Clara and other forces, and in the future we will keep it,” Molto said, and on the recent Press Festival in Holguin he mentioned its good results, participation of students, the 29 neighborhood debates with the population and flow communication specialists we already have, which actively participated in the Holguin meeting.
Also present in this sixth meeting were Enrique Villuendas, Ideological Department official, and the Presidency of the Upec: Aixa Hevia, Barbara Doval and Belkis Perez Cruz, vice president and vice-presidents respectively.
This meeting was held hours before Diaz-Canel departed for Caracas to represent Cuba at the summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and Petrocaribe.
