The Press

[subcp]

Some people take it for granted, others eschew its importance; what do people think about the printed press of an organization? A few groups maintain both a printed press and internet media; some have cancelled their printed papers and journals and maintain only an internet presence.

Is the printed press an important part of communist education, propaganda, agitation, etc.?

Aside from these roles, is it a necessary link between individual militants and the wider organization?

[The Idler]

I think it premature to go online-only. Even if printed material is done at a financial loss, it is important to engage with those not reading online.

However, the era of solely propaganda newspaper is over and I think internal matters and external matters should be printed in the same publication.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Today the physically written word is by far less important than digital media. A century ago it was the most important part of organizing. But, when talking to people, it is nice to have physical material instead of telling someone to check out a link or site, you can give them something to look at immediately.

[Audeamus]

While having a nice website with a goodly wealth of material archived on it is no doubt a good thing for an organization to have, I do not think the era of the printed party newspaper has passed us by. There is, as has been noted an immediacy in engaging with people on issues when distributing papers during strikes and other protests. There is also the matter of access. While internet access is very widespread in the industrialized world it is not universal, especially among working people. In less industrialized nations, of course, this means the newspaper is of even greater importance.

[bcbm]

ive never seen a printed leftist rag be worth the paper it was printed on at any event of significance. i think the 'have paper and use as talking point' strategy is as dead as dillinger. i dont know that having a nice digital cache replacing it is a solution. i think something to offer working people besides toilet paper might be a sound strategy

[Die Neue Zeit]

i dont know that having a nice digital cache replacing it is a solution. i think something to offer working people besides toilet paper might be a sound strategy

On that last part, we're definitely in agreement. The question is: What? Though for me, the answers are already crystal clear.

[Red Banana]

All forms of media are useful for organizing purposes, be they flyers, posters, papers, websites, etc.

Rather than looking at what forms of media we should be ending, we should look at new areas to branch out to, the two most important (and difficult to obtain) being TV and radio.

Most people don't read printed press, and when they do get on the computer, it's usually not to see how class struggle is going. We would reach a lot more people using TV or radio who, flipping through the channels, might find something interesting. You can't really flip through the channels with a computer, you have to already know what your looking for if you have any hope of finding it.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Most left-wing publications are pretty dull. Their template is pretty much as follows:

1) there's a problem in society (be it class inequality, homophobia, racism, whatever)

2) the attempts to solve it are reformist and therefore inadequate;

3) therefore the only solution is socialist/communist revolution! (presumably with whatever party published the paper at the lead)

My favorite left-wing publication was Fire to the Prisons. The journalism in it was often bad, as was the stupid rhetoric. But the aesthetic was good, IMO. Really liked the format/aesthetic. It's too bad that they're not putting it out anymore.

[The Idler]

We could deliberately produce Toilet paper with propaganda on.

[bricolage]

the only decent thing I've regularly got handed out on demos and stuff in the UK is the paper by the commune (http://thecommune.co.uk/), some of the politics weren't great but it actually said interesting things, looked good and didn't just follow the tired format that Os Cangaceiros mentions. continually getting handed one million copies of the same thing saying 'TORY CUTS [INSERT SOME PROBLEM], COME TO THIS [MEETING/RALLY] AND BUILD THE ALTERNATIVE' is a real load of shite and I can't understand why people haven't realised it by now.

[bricolage]

people like aufheben make real sweet publications but they are pretty dense and come out once or twice a year. in terms of 'press' noone's managed to crack it and leaflets about how to not get caught in a riot or useful legal loopholes to use on picket lines are the best anyone's managed to do really.

[Prof. Oblivion]

I have rarely seen any real substance in any of these papers. A little more pragmatism and fewer exclamation points would be a good start.

[subcp]

Judging from the thread on the Weekly Worker the application of what they originally set out to do has kinda been sidelined. Isn't a multi-tendency, 'open' paper a good thing? Where opposing viewpoints, be they Trotskyist, autonomist, M-L, etc. can be published, like some of the old socialist papers, a good thing? I think the Commune does this to a certain extent. Rather than being an explanation point ridden piece of agitprop, I think the press can act as a kind of rallying point for the membership, something they can all participate in, all of the issues within and without the particular organization (pretty sure the Industrial Worker also has a pretty open editorial policy).

[The Idler]

industrial worker? as in iww?

[subcp]

Yes; I understand that they elect the editor, and they do seem to publish what members submit as well (the debate on the 'Direct Unionism' paper comes to mind). Sometimes submissions have a disclaimer (like 'the following text represents the view of an individual member and is not the position of the organization').

[Hit The North]

On that last part, we're definitely in agreement. The question is: What? Though for me, the answers are already crystal clear.

Maybe you would like to elucidate for those of us who don't have access to your crystal ball.

[The Idler]

Just read Bambery at http://internationalsocialist.org.uk/index.php/blog/the-future/
What happened to Counterfire's broadsheet anyway?