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SELLING SOCIALIST WORKER IN THE MOVEMENT ...

AnonymouSWP | 13.06.2005 22:35

OK you SWP funksters, this is how you should sell a paper ...

Sometimes it ain't what you do it's the way that you do it! We've talked a lot about the role that Socialist Worker can play inside the movement. The papers coverage of Respect and the anti war movement is second to none and we should be proud of the impact Socialist Worker has made. But we also have to think about how we
use the paper. In the old days it was simple. If there was a big event we'd stand outside a meeting or rally and sell. That was OK then but what happens now when in Stop the War, Respect etc we're helping to run the meeting?

Of course if there are big rallies we should still run stalls
outside (better that people see Socialist Worker than some loony tune rag)...but the key here isn't standing outside with the paper, the key is what we do inside a meeting. No trade unionist would ever finish a union meeting and go off and stand by the door waving a Socialist Worker around. As you chat to friends, finish off union business etc you'd sell Socialist Worker...one to one. That's exactly how we should use the paper inside movement events. We don't have to wonder round the room with Socialist Worker strapped to our chests, we wouldn't in a union meeting so why do it in the rest of the movement?

Just as Socialist Worker has changed to relate to the new
movement how we use Socialist Worker has to evolve too...we're inside the tent now not outside it and how we use Socialist Worker should reflect this. To get this right we have to break the separation between comrades who "sell" and comrades who are "in the movement". This method of selling only works if we really are all doing it. Just as we are all out to build Respect, not just a section of the party, we all need to have 4-5 papers on us to sell to activists we are working with.

And by the way...this works. At event after event we sell more copies of Socialist Worker to activists during the event than we do outside the front door.

AnonymouSWP

Comments

Display the following 6 comments

  1. rubbish!
  2. Selling The Paper — Ed
  3. Oh please.. — Danny
  4. Interesting — anarchoteapot
  5. Giving the Paper — EvilEmpire
  6. thanks — jj