Periodismo ciudadano en su máxima expresión

Abstract

In recent years blogs have positioned themselves as an important tool forpublic communications, capable of impacting, influencing and transformingpopular culture. Some scholars consider Internet’s traditional functioningmodel where one could clearly differentiate among content providers andusers, to have been transformed, and nowadays, this distance has beensignificantly reduced. One of the factors that has produced this shift hasbeen first of all, the World Wide Web, and secondly, the increasingpopularity of the blogosphere. Both platforms represent forums wherecitizen collaboration and participation is encouraged. In this analysis we willfocus on the power of blogs, considered to be the medium with the greatestgrowth in the history of mass communication. We will use Yoani Sanchezand her blog, Generacion Y as a case study to show how these versatileplatforms of personal expression- in this case in opposition to the Castroregime- has turned into an important element of the alternative blogosphere,not only in her native country, but mostly abroad. According to Sanchez, “Iform part of a phenomenon in an embryonic stage that is able to transforminto an alternative force for the official Cuban media”"1. The socio-politicalcontext of Cuban in which Generacion Y comes into play is particularlyinteresting because of the fact it has been able to withstand even whileconfronting two major obstacles: the incredibly low connectivity rate thatCuban citizens face, as well as censorship and punishment on behalf of theCastro government. Generacion Y, therefore, represents more than a spacewithin the alternative Cuban blogosphere. As winner of numerous prizesand distinctions- among them the prestigious Ortega y Gasset Prize forDigital Journalism in 2008- this blog is an example of freedom of speechand digital citizen journalism in which the author has been able to expressher social uncertainties by using this powerful technological tool in order tocapture the reality surrounding her, as well as impacting, influencing andmarking a milestone for cyberculture and the future of mass media in Cubaand the rest of the world.