In accordance with the transparency requirements demanded by journalistic practice and professional commitment, CiberCuba believes it is essential to publicly disclose the source of its income and the course of its expenses during 2020.
While the decision to clearly and unambiguously disclose the use of our operational funds is a practice that our publication has established as a strategy for credibility and positioning, the relentless campaign of attacks recently orchestrated by the Cuban government against independent journalists and media makes it even more timely to continue highlighting the reasons that legitimize and support our project.
The escalation of invectives and defamations against CiberCuba has been relentless over the past year, involving both emblematic spaces of official propaganda and hierarchical figures of the Cuban regime.
All of these unfounded claims bear the same disqualifying stamp regarding the alleged funding we receive from Washington through federal agencies and entities such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). A kind of invisible money that no one has been able to verify or document, yet is repeatedly linked to sinister intentions to distort the Cuban reality and undermine the stability of the regime in power on the island.
None of the servile frontmen of the official discourse, whether it be Johana Tablada, deputy director general of the U.S. Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), or Abel Prieto, the pompous president of the Casa de las Américas, nor the drivel from ventriloquist Humberto López on the National Television News, have been able to provide a single piece of evidence, a single corroborative document, or even a hint to support their desperate attempts to pin a sum of money on us that has never been in our coffers.
The financing model of CiberCuba has been able to operate effectively so far, without the need to resort to governmental or private funds that would compromise its editorial line and informational independence.
It explains the bewilderment of these janissaries entrenched in the stale Castro school. Despite experiencing a year of economic difficulties and enormous challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, CiberCuba not only faced a tenacious and creative survival but also established a trend of leadership in the landscape of Cuban digital journalism.
Among the professional milestones of 2020 was achieving a record number of 20 million page views in a month this past July, marking the first time in its history and also surpassing 5.6 million unique monthly users. Readers residing in Cuba compete for the top spot among visitors to our website with those from the United States.
On Facebook, our platform reached a monthly audience (reach) of over 11 million people, with about 13 million engagements (comments, likes, shares, etc.). Despite censorship and the challenges of internet service, 1.8 million people read us on Facebook from Cuba. The interaction, engagement, and contributions from readers on the island are becoming increasingly robust.
The period was also one of informative growth and high commitment to coverage with original content. We maintained systematic and impactful news attention on the emergence and spread of the coronavirus within Cuba, and we gave significant coverage to the events of the San Isidro Movement and the November 27th demonstration in Havana since last November.
The details of the intricate presidential elections in the United States were reflected on our pages from the primary candidacy process to Joe Biden's inauguration, including several direct discussions with renowned panelists. We also conducted exclusive interviews with both candidates for the White House, in dialogues that addressed the essential concerns of the Cuban community and our compatriots on the island.
It is important to reaffirm that, as has been the case since the beginning of our operations in 2014, all of our revenue last year was generated exclusively from internet ads or advertising from independent advertisers, with no ties to political organizations, lobbying groups, or governments.
Every cent that sustains the existence of CiberCuba comes from those sources associated with our operational management, completely unrelated to programs or agencies from the United States, Spain, or any other country. Our project also does not allocate funds to promote platforms, political parties, social movements, or power groups.
This is the breakdown of our financial activity, which we share with our readers and followers.
In 2020, CiberCuba generated revenue of 771,604 euros and 7 cents, representing a 10% decrease compared to the revenue of 2019. This decline in revenue was primarily due to the economic effects resulting from the pandemic. The sources of this amount are distributed as follows: 222,485.04 euros from direct advertisers; 221,045.48 euros from AdSense (Google's advertising platform); 195,659.34 euros from advertising agencies; 127,414.21 euros from Facebook advertising (with over 1.2 million followers); and an amount of 4,499.04 euros in contributions from our readers.
It should be noted that none of the direct advertisers account for more than 10% of the total revenue of CiberCuba.
Of the total income, it should be noted that 60.2% was allocated to personnel expenses, primarily aimed at covering employee salaries, social security, etc. 26.5% was used for payments to third-party services (collaborators, accountants, lawyers, among others). The remaining 11.5% was distributed among internet service expenses necessary for the operation of our publishing platform, servers, news agencies, office expenses, and other minor costs.
As seen, the expenses of 803,190.13 euros exceeded the annual income, which meant the company had to resort to its reserves to ensure the full operation of its informational activities.
The financing model of CiberCuba has been able to operate effectively so far, without the need to resort to government or private funding that would compromise its editorial line and informational independence.
We support and welcome the presence of public contributions and private entities for the development of media projects that promote communication with informational rigor, diversity, and creative freedom. However, we believe that journalism fulfills its mission of public service more effectively when it is free from constraints imposed by political, ideological, or social mobilization agendas that compromise its autonomy.
We are living through turbulent and decisive times, not only for journalism but also for the future of Cuba. The worsening of the Cuban economic crisis, the relentless progression of the pandemic on the island, and the exhaustion of a political regime that seems deaf to the urgent demands of the population herald a moment of crucial changes in the reality where the vast majority of our readers were born, live, or identify their greatest aspirations.
With the responsibility of being a preferred medium for Cubans on the island and in the diaspora to obtain information about their country, which is currently afflicted by repression, perpetual shortages, and despair; with the strong determination to engage in communicative practices that promote democratic values and citizen participation; CiberCuba aims to continue its professional work with transparency.
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