> Yes, I know. Sigh. I used to peddle a Trotskyist newspaper door to door.
> Reading it was like watching paint dry -- an endless stream cliches
> clothed in self-righteousness. Very, very badly written. Not proofread.
> Will never forget the article that reported that Hitler invaded Poland
> looking for more "Liebestraum." Indeed.
The sad thing is that there are some decent articles in those newspapers and publications. It's the package that sucks and if you don't understand the importance of presentation, then you shoot yourself in the foot. People want something to read that is attractive, even leftists.
We've talked here about the ugliness of Z Magazine, which is a perfect example of counterproductive left publishing. Alienate readers with ugly design and poor editing and you keep them from reading the interesting writers that you publish. Poor design is totally inexcusable in this era of free graphics software and inexpensive page layout programs. And how much would it cost a magazine to hire some lefty graphic designers to do a a new design for a magazine? If you are paying writers, you can pay artists, designers or anybody with a good eye for publication design.
It struck me recently how closely the ugliness of a left publication is tied to the banality and poverty of the publication's politics. The ugliest magazines tend to be the most sectarian and political. The most lively magazines tend to be the ones with fresh designs and innovative layouts. I'm thinking here of publications like Clamor, LiP, and Adbusters.
The Left press in the U.S. has a long tradition of pushing the envelope when it comes to design and content. Just look at some of the fascinating underground newspapers of the the 60s and 70s. The Guardian of the 1980s didn't push the envelope with its design, but it was attractive and readable.
> Well, yeah. Cause we're human beings. Creating a leftist newspaper that
> has everything in it -- yes even ads ....for restaurants, movies, music,
> books, etc., -- would be a great way to give people the sense that
> another kind of life is right there for the taking. I would love to have
> columns that would ask working class people how businesses could be run
> if they were run for the actual benefit of customers rather than for
> profit maximization. I would love to have articles to help people
> stretch their money without sacrificing their health or safety. I would
> love to have a "working class" view of the world that wasn't just about
> anger and victimization.
Amen. In other words, an alternative to mainstream newspapers with the content that would meet your interests and wouldn't leave you going back to the mainstream newspaper for sports coverage or movie reviews. If we are serious about creating an alternative to the capitalist culture, shouldn't our projects reflect what we are trying to create?
Your wish for content on money issues is right on. This kind of information would be great content for an alternative newspaper.
Chuck