Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker is the name of a number of far-left newspapers currently or formerly associated with the International Socialist Tendency (IST). It is a weekly newspaper published by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the United Kingdom, a monthly (and daily web site) published by the International Socialist Organization (ISO) in the United States, a monthly published by the International Socialists in Canada, a biweekly published by the Socialist Workers Party in Ireland, a quarterly published by the International Socialist Organisation in Zimbabwe and was a monthly published by the former International Socialist Organisation in Australia. Socialist Worker was also the name of an IST political group in Aotearoa/New Zealand.[1][better source needed]
United Kingdom
 | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Editor | Charlie Kimber |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Political alignment | Socialist Trotskyist |
| Headquarters | London |
| Website | socialistworker |
Although Socialist Worker sales/circulation data is not publicly available, John Molyneux estimated the circulation of the paper in 2006 to be under 8,000.[2] Special "bumper" issues have a circulation approaching 10,000 it was claimed in an article containing an interview with Judith Orr in April 2013.[3]
History
Originally titled Industrial Worker, and then Labour Worker, it was founded by the Socialist Review Group (which became the International Socialists, then the SWP) in 1961 in London (Cliff 78).[citation needed]
The newspaper was renamed Socialist Worker in 1968 and moved to weekly production; its first editor was Roger Protz (Higgins 90). Its language and general approach was modelled on The Daily Mirror but aimed to provide a very different set of ideas (Harman 40). Writers included Paul Foot, Duncan Hallas and Eamonn McCann plus reports of strikes and other struggles from across the country sent in by readers. The editor from 1974 to 1978, Paul Foot (Foot xii) later went to work for the Mirror, though he continued to contribute to Socialist Worker until his death in 2004. It was edited between 1982 and 2004 by Chris Harman.[4]
After 2004 it was edited by Chris Bambery, who was succeeded by Charlie Kimber in 2009, and Judith Orr late in 2010.[5] When Margaret Thatcher died, the newspaper printed "Rejoice" over her headstone, gaining much international comment.[3]
The paper gained mainstream attention for itself when it published an article which seemed to mock the death of a 17-year-old who was mauled to death by a polar bear, on the basis that he was attending Eton.[6][7] Writing in The Guardian, Owen Jones commented that instead of expressing sadness or empathy over the death of a young person, the newspaper was "evidently delighted." Jones said the end of the article "was even more gratuitous," because it said "Now we have another reason to save the polar bears." Jones suggested that "the official organ of the Socialist Workers party (SWP) apparently fantasises about an army of polar bears leaving the playing fields of Eton soaked blue with posh blood."[8]
Working for the newspaper has proven to be an apprenticeship for many prominent journalists at the onset of their careers, including Gary Bushell[9] and the brothers Christopher[10] and Peter Hitchens.[11]
Production and distribution
The paper is published on behalf of the party by Larkham Printers & Publishers Limited,[12] having previously been published by Sherborne Publications Limited.[13]
United States
| File:Socialist Worker US issue 571 cover.gif | |
| Type | Monthly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Political alignment | Socialist Trotskyist |
| Website | socialistworker |
Shortly after its foundation in 1977, the ISO began publishing a monthly titled Socialist Worker, modelled after the British publication of the same name and the biweekly Workers' Power, then published by the International Socialists. The paper became a daily web site on May Day 2008. The print version was published monthly. The ISO left the International Socialist Tendency in 2001. [citation needed]
Since 13 April 2001, the ISO also published a Spanish language supplement to Socialist Worker, titled Obrero Socialista. Publication was irregular until 2005, since when it has been bimonthly.[citation needed]
The ISO, and with it Socialist Worker, was dissolved in April of 2019.
Canada
| Type | Monthly (fortnightly from 1995-2006)[clarification needed] newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Founded | 1968 (as Workers' Action) |
| Political alignment | Socialist Trotskyist |
| Headquarters | Toronto |
| Website | www |
Socialist Worker is the publication of the International Socialists, the Canadian IST affiliate. The newspaper was originally called Workers' Action and was published monthly from 1975 until 1985. After 108 issues, it was renamed Socialist Worker. More recently, the newspaper has been published sporadically. It was published triweekly for a short period in 1995[citation needed] and is currently on a monthly schedule.
Socialist Worker is twelve pages and printed in black and red. A French-language monthly, Résistance!, was also published by the IS and claimed a circulation of 300, most of it in Quebec. It has now ceased publication. The Agitator, a monthly student bulletin was published from 2007 to 2009.[citation needed]
Other countries
The Irish SWP's fortnightly Socialist Worker styles itself as a "paper of the movements".[citation needed]
Similar publications with the same title were formerly published in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian International Socialist Organisation's paper sales dwindled to 422 an issue by 2000.[14] By 2001, when the paper went weekly, sales had dropped by almost 300.[15] The paper ended with the merger of the ISO and two other socialist groups which formed Solidarity in 2008.[citation needed]
See also
References
- Notes
- ^ UNITYblogNZ
- ^ SW Kenning, "A loyal rebel", Weekly Worker, No. 606, 5 January 2006.
- ^ a b Ian Burrell "Why we had to rejoice after Margaret Thatcher's death, by the editor behind provocative Socialist Worker front page", The Independent, 12 April 2013
- ^ John Molyneux "Chris Harman: Editor of 'Socialist Worker' whose intellectual stature gave him an influence beyond party ranks", The Independent, 19 November 2009
- ^ Peter Manson "Another one bites the dust" Archived 2012-04-04 at the Wayback Machine, Weekly Worker, 6 January 2011
- ^ Adam Withnall "Socialist Worker called to apologise over 'vile' article saying Eton schoolboy Horatio Chapple's death is 'reason to save the polar bears'", The Independent, 10 July 2014
- ^ Claire Duffin "Outcry after socialist paper mocks death of Eton schoolboy in polar bear attack", Daily Telegraph, 10 July 2014
- ^ Owen Jones "Mocking an Eton boy's death is the worst politics of envy", The Guardian, 14 July 2014
- ^ Ross, Deborah (25 June 2001). "Garry Bushell: For Garry, England and St George". The Independent. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
- ^ Lynn Barber "Hitch-22: A Memoir by Christopher Hitchens", The Sunday Times, 16 May 2010
- ^ "Peter Hitchens", Debretts online
- ^ "Front Page". Socialist Worker (Britain). London: Larkham Printers & Publishers. 18 December 2018. Archived from the original (Web page) on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Socialist Worker Rejoices In Death Of Eton Schoolboy Killed By Polar Bear", The Huffington Post, 11 July 2014
- ^ Armstrong, Mick. "The Origins of Socialist Alternative", Marxist Left Review. Number 1, Spring, 2010, p.125.
- ^ Armstrong, Mick. "The Origins of Socialist Alternative", Marxist Left Review. Number 1, Spring, 2010, p.131.
- Sources
- Tony Cliff (2000) A World to Win. Bookmarks, London, ISBN 1-898876-62-2
- Paul Foot (1990) Words as Weapons, Verso, London, ISBN 0-86091-527-1
- Chris Harman (1991) The Revolutionary Paper, Socialist Workers Party, ISBN 0-905998-78-2
- Jim Higgins (1997) More Years for the Locust, IS Group, London, ISBN 0-9530607-0-5
External links
- Socialist Worker (Australia)
- Socialist Worker (Ireland)
- Socialist Worker (Zimbabwe)
- Compilation of articles about the paper's goals and the history of socialist newspapers (US Socialist Worker)