Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez says her new digital media project should be ready late April or May.
Sanchez told reporters Tuesday at the Miami media and marketing forum Hispanicize she has 11 staffers, including herself and her journalist husband. She said she's taken her time so as to train herself and fellow reporters, many of whom have never worked as journalists before.
Sanchez's blog often highlights government dysfunction. But she doesn't consider herself a dissident. She wants her project to cover a wide array of topics. Diffusion remains a challenge, though, on an island where internet access is expensive and government censured. This isn't Cuba's first independent media project, but Sanchez's international profile and support from institutions like the Knight Foundation give her a broader platform and immediate recognition.
Sanchez's blog Generation Y focuses on slices of life in Cuba, highlighting government dysfunction. Conference organizers say they asked her to speak Tuesday because of her powerful use of social media to break through the Cuban government's strict control of public discourse on the island.
Now in its fifth year, Hispanicize is dedicated to creating space for Latino bloggers, artists and journalists, as well as to connecting companies with the nation's fast-growing Hispanic markets.
In 2013, Sanchez toured the U.S. and Europe. Internationally, she is one of Cuba's most recognized activists, boasting 600,000 Twitter followers. Back home, though, she is less well-known.
