"The Cuban press loses its credibility when it offers incomplete reporting, when it leaves obvious holes and omissions, which are then covered by the forces hostile to Cuban socialism or merely left for the cloudy street of speculation," said journalist Hugo Rius.

The distinguished journalist added, "We expose ourselves to this when we make apologetic reports about conditions that the public does not feel concretely."

Rius was one of several journalists who sounded the alert during a meeting leading up to the 8th Congress of the Union of Cuban Journalists, to be held in July.

A recognized reporter "having won the José Martí National Prize of Journalism" Rius emphasized that the Cuban press they "cannot simply propound opinions without supporting them with logical arguments, nor can it unleash false expectations or leave critical positions without conclusions or alternatives." He added, "We have to touch a real country - one that is full of dreams as well as tensions."

This pre-congress debate is aimed at deepening discussion on areas for change in todays press.

Singled out as a key point was the need to banish certain "impoverished and instrumentalist visions" that some have of this profession.

Defining the legal power of journalism and journalists, as well as preventing the entry of unqualified people and poor performance in the exercise of the profession, were the focuses of Francisco Rodríguez, from the weekly publication Trabajadores (Workers). In that line of analysis, other colleagues approached the relevancy of a legal body with juridical regulations associated with journalism. This was seen as needed for the creation of an administrative structure that could assist and give coherence to the priorities of the press.

However, others like José Alejandro Rodríguez, a columnist of the Juventud Rebelde daily, maintained the need for strict loyalty to the Revolution, characteristic of the islands press workers. He holds to the conviction that the analyses of the 8th Congress of the UPEC should work to continue strengthening national unity.

To end all of the discussion, Rolando Alfonso Borges, head of the Ideological Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, detailed the conclusions, analysis and decisions adopted by that oversight body and the government to solve the material problems of the press. He underlined the will of the Party to fulfill its Political Bureaus decisions on the work of the press.

(www.juventudrebelde.co.cu)