Mad in Miami

There's a little tempest going on in Miami, where, once again, journalism collides with Cuban-American emotions, and whirls into a maelstrom: yesterday the Miami Herald reported that one of its reporters, Oscar Corral, had been arrested for soliciting prostitution.

Corral is the reporter who broke the story last year about El Nuevo Herald and other Cuban-American reporters taking payments from Radio Martí and the US government, which caused an uproar in the Cuban blogs, and made Corral a target for the anti-Castro crowd. Corral also writes the Herald's Miami's Cuban Connection blog, which is also criticized by blogs like Babalú.

Daily Pulp linked to the Herald story and there are 70 comments on the posting already. For anyone who doesn't understand the emotions behind Miami's tropical pastel image, this is an eye-opener, and not for reading on an empty stomach. It's raw and nasty.

There's lots more discussion on Stuck on the Palmetto, here, here and here.

Babalú offshoot blog, HeraldWatch, also has comments.

Miami New Times' Riptide blog has more background on Corral, and raises some new questions.

Think life is all warm nights, mojitos and beaches for journalists (and bloggers) in Miami? Think again.