Save the Socialist Standard

[Anonymous]

It is indeed an absurd and badly timed motion and it is not the only absurd motion on the agenda and coincidently by the same branch.  

[ALB]

Here is a contribution from a member of Glasgow branch from Inverness which the branch requested be communicated to Conference:

Quote:

Comments on Item 23 from the Lancaster branch re: ending the printing of the Standard. Times have not changed everywhere and I appreciate that those of us in rural backwaters may be viewed as Luddites, however I must protest at this suggestion. We are always castigating and giving examples of "bottom line" capitalism where profit is the only consideration. How hypocritical if we fail to realise how important the Standard is to those of us trying to inform our friends, acquaintances and strangers that there is an alternative to so called left/right reformism. I have explained earlier the problem of web speed locally, I cannot say to somebody " look it up on the web"!!! I cannot get on to Spintcom myself, but is it not a case of preaching to the converted? I want to be able to give the printed word to interested parties free of charge, and I do. My daughter who lives in Edinburgh raids my archive of Standards dating back to the early 80's whenever she comes north. These historical records she uses in debates with friends who may be attracted to reformist parties claiming to be socialist. We need the Standard to be able to do our work of explaining that there is an alternative to capitalism.

[alanjjohnstone]

Badly-timed i accept as a useful description of the resolution.  i think it may well be premature as a conference item when we struggle for clear information.But an absurd motion is simply insulting fellow members of your own organisation, particularly since it arose from the branch that had the Standard's ex-lay-out team in it, who i think we can say are not at all uninformed or out of touch with the Standard's production and its influences.

[Anonymous]

jondwhite wrote:

If everyone already has access to the internet on their phone in the pocket, you have to ask why online publications haven't already replaced printed publications? Why do printed publications still exist and advertisers still buy adverts in them?

Precisely.  One only has to venture into WHSmith or any other decent newsagents/booksellers to view the plethora of printed publications.  Anyone who thinks that it's "a media which is dying" is talking out of a place where the sun don't shine.

[alanjjohnstone]

ALB, as anecdotal evidence very interesting. But i am sure his daughter in Edinburgh could be getting more fruitful knowledge from becoming an Edinburgh branch member or attendee than reading back-copies of the StandardIndeed, i think it is important that the Socialist Standard archives and records should be easily available…hence my consternation that for going on 14 or 15 years, we have been unable to fulfil our programme of getting the Standard archives fully online and now rely on the contributions of an WSPUS member to fill up some gaps, although very much appreciated by me personally who often makes use of the material,  it is a bit haphazard since it is based on his whimsical choice of what to scan and upload.

[imposs1904]

". . .   it is a bit haphazard since it is based on his whimsical choice of what to scan and upload."Cheeky bleeder.

[Young Master Smeet]

Commercial journal publishers are increasingly becoming E-only, as are libraries, so there is a chance that libraries will begin to refuse to stock the print standard (especially as it is available free online), so at the least, looking at cutting the free subs to libraries could save a few quid.NLBs proposed amendments should be supported, as, should the resolution be passed, they would retain a print element for use in public events and for members to buy.

[alanjjohnstone]

Once more let's discuss actual real trendsA quick google produced thishttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170221005686/en/Growing-Adoption-e-Books-Boost-Global-Content-Publishing“The share of the digital publishing segment is likely to grow during the forecast period because of the growing popularity of e-reading devices globally and increased adoption of digital platforms in several educational institutions,” says Ujjwal Doshi, a lead media and entertainment services research experthttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/feb/21/independent-bookshops-campaign"independent bookshops gracing British high streets has fallen below 1,000 – a third fewer than nine years ago, amid cut-throat competition from supermarkets, Amazon and ebooks.""the future of our bookshops – and therefore the health of the publishing industry and reading itself – is at risk."  Tim Godfray, chief executive of the Bookseller Association.Come back to me when WSSmiths are interested in putting the Standard on their shelves. We tried before using the commercial outlets and that type of retailer is simply not interested. (Morning Star is probably the only one that has had a fair measure of success.) Who would take us back to the days where we put our soap-box on a street corner and ignore the internet? But adapt we do…Instead, we do lit stalls and what are the best sellers…the Standard or something from our selection of pamphlets?

[Bijou Drains]

imposs1904 wrote:

". . .   it is a bit haphazard since it is based on his whimsical choice of what to scan and upload."Cheeky bleeder.

Pejorative as well!!!!!

[alanjjohnstone]

And a very well qualified caveat included, Tim.

Quote:

although very much appreciated by me personally who often makes use of the material

And that was not just flattery or an underhand complimentAnything with a Scottish connection is immediately re-posted on Socialist Courier and many older articles are copied and pasted and re-worded to give it a modern tone then used on the blogs to bring them back to life again.

[Bijou Drains]

alanjjohnstone wrote:

Who would take us back to the days where we put our soap-box on a street corner and ignore the internet? But adapt we do…Instead, we do lit stalls and what are the best sellers…the Standard or something from our selection of pamphlets?

I think this kind of point is an attempt to turn the debate into an either/or debate.Having a printed Standard does not detract from our growing on line presence.If there are enough volunteers who want to put the Standard out and the cost of this activity is not prohibitive, then why should we block this activity? It is not a case of either having the Standard and not having an online presence. We can have both and not only that, there is absolutely no evidence to support the idea that the time, effort and monies put into the production of the Standard would be used elsewhere.Is there a queue of volunteers lined up waiting to undertake on line work, which is hampered by all of the work required to publish the Standard? No.Is there a shortage of funds currently used to produce the Standard which other members are desperately trying to access so that they can undertake different forms of propagada? No.Is there are current shortage of volunteers willing to take on the roles required to produce the Standard? No.I find this idea that there is only one way to spread Socialist ideas really irritating, if members want to produce the Standard and there are the funds available to do it, then why should other members want to stop them from doing it?If members some want to hire a plane and fly over central london with a banner reading "abolish the wages system" give them the money and let them get on with it, if members want to produce a daily blog, give them the money and let them get on with it. Surely we should be in the business of creating as many outlets for our ideas as we can, not trying to block them so that the party can pursue an individual preference.Alan, if you dont like the Standard and/or don't read it or don't rate it, absolutley fine, but don't try and block others doing what they choose to do to propagate Socialist ideas.

[Bijou Drains]

Young Master Smeet wrote:

Commercial journal publishers are increasingly becoming E-only, as are libraries, so there is a chance that libraries will begin to refuse to stock the print standard (especially as it is available free online), so at the least, looking at cutting the free subs to libraries could save a few quid.

It seems to me that every time I go into WH Smug there is an increasing array of magazines aimed at increasingly specialised areas with titles such asa "Racoon Weekly" and "Enjoy Your Ear Wax Collection".I also don't understand this obsession with saving a few quid here or there, I don't think we should go out spending money willy, nilly, but come on we have got more than a few Bob in the coffers. The party is in danger of behaving like an elderly miser, living off half a tin of soup every day, whilst having bundles of cash stuffed down the back of the mouldy, old, worn out sofa!

[jondwhite]

Here's a profile of Jacobin from last yearhttp://www.vox.com/2016/3/21/11265092/jacobin-bhaskar-sunkara

Quote:

Sunkara started publishing copies of the magazine in his George Washington University dorm room back in 2011, when he was all of 21. The financial crisis appeared to have given socialism and Marxism another inning, and Sunkara wanted an outlet that took socialist theory more seriously than existing outlets like the Nation. Jacobin took off; it now boasts a print circulation of about 20,000 and has gained about 400 more subscribers a week since Bernie started his ascent in November. Jacobin's success is a sign that even if Bernie fades, there's still a constituency for socialist ideas — a fact that could turn out to be much more important than the Sanders campaign itself….The approach works. Sunkara tells me the magazine is up to a paid circulation of nearly 20,000, from both subscriptions and individual issue sales. The website gets nearly 1 million unique visitors and 2.7 million pageviews a month….Forbes's design deserves credit for the fact that tens of thousands of people are willing to pay money for a print publication in 2016 that they can read online for free. (Some stories are initially paywalled for a period of time, but all are eventually released to non-subscribers.) It's part of what makes Jacobin a profitable business….Jacobin is not dependent on the backing of a major corporation or a wealthy donor, which is unusual for a left-wing publication in today's publishing landscape. It makes the overwhelming share of its money the old-fashioned way: by selling subscriptions and print copies. That provides about $500,000 in revenue annually, enough to pay for printing costs and salaries and have a bit left over for a rainy day.

So, although print media may be in a period of decline, not only can individual magazines grow print circulation but "socialist" magazines can grow print circulation through subscriptions and be profitable. According to the Guardian most circulation of Jacobin is subscriptionshttps://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/oct/19/jacobin-magazine-staff-union

[Anonymous]

jondwhite wrote:

So, although print media may be in a period of decline, not only can individual magazines grow print circulation but "socialist" magazines can grow print circulation through subscriptions.

Quite, and the EC's plans to dramatically increase the profile of the party through extensive insert advertising in selected periodicals coupled with the upcoming General Election should afford us every opportunity to do just that.

[alanjjohnstone]

Quote:

Alan, if you dont like the Standard and/or don't read it or don't rate it, absolutley fine, but don't try and block others doing what they choose to do to propagate Socialist ideas.

Tim, are you trying to prohibit me from expressing my opinion on a motion that is to be put to the forth-coming annual conference of the Party and are you trying to silence me on this thread because you disagree with my contrary view to your own by creating a strawman argument, by accusing me of something i have not done? I will have a vote in the eventual party poll, the same as every other member, and i will abide by that result…which, if you haven't noticed, i have twice suggested will not pass, this time around. I don't think you take much heed of what people actually write because if you did you would have seen my emphasis is on the lack of information being presented by BOTH sides for a proper debate and discussion to take place. We have statements that are challengeable and that is exactly what i intend to do if i feel they are not accurate. We have a member who works in the libraries questioning the worth of providing them any longer with free copies. Are we to ignore his informed insider knowledge? In no way am i trying to block what people do and you know only too well that i have defended some in the Party who have chosen their own way to propagate socialist ideas, from the provision of promotional items that others called trashy to uploading video to e-publishing party material as an individual.Once more you may be unaware that before Robbo suggested let a 1000 flowers bloom on this thread, i was being attacked for saying the exact same thing by the member of Lancaster Br but i don't let past disputes cloud my judgement.Once again a search of this list will show that i have been fairly consistent in my views for the party. Not only do i wish a webzine…i have also argued for a virtual political party with our premises sold and our activity centred on a WSM-Skype connected organisation. But i have no intention of blocking others from disagreeing with me. Nor will i be imposing such a form of structure on the unwilling majority but forgive me for possessing ideas about socialist organisation and activity that does not conform with your own

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