Italian left wing daily newspaper Il Manifesto is making an urgent appeal for funds.
Of course we are all used to left wing publications making financial appeals, but this occasion is different. Il Manifesto is an internationally important institution, and it is under threat of closure.
Il Manifesto has survived for more than 35 years as a workers’ co-operative, without the interference of a capitalist proprietor, and has consistently produced first class journalism.
Although originally supportive of the Communist Party, Il Manifesto has always been independent of party control, and in more recent years has supported the social movement, and Rifondazione Comunista.
It is a witty and innovative paper, combining investigative reporting with satire and cheeky disrespect for the rich and powerful. Nor does Il Manifesto rely on third hand reportage for international events: rivalling its pro-establishment competitors it has journalists around the world. One of its reporters, Giuliana Sgrena, was kidnapped in Iraq by insurgents in February 2005, but thankfully later released.
Il Manifesto is now in danger of closing, since February they have been struggling to pay their own salaries.
On the basis of an annual turnover of 17.5 million Euros, and a staff of 121, the Italian State subsidies cover 25% of costs. The rest of the paper’s income comes from sales. They sell an average 29000 copies of the paper every day, and have 5,892 subscriptions.
Il Manifesto has suffered because of loss of sales due to on-line publishing, and also a steep rise in costs – which rose by 11% in 2005.
Please send a contribution today with your credit card.
Let us ensues that Il Manifesto, and its experiment in defying the laws of the market, survives. The paper has played a vital role in Italy and internationally. It has supported the development of the Italian left away from sectarianism of the past, and towards the collaborative way of working of Rifondazione, and the social forums.
8 comments:
Actuallly you have to persevere to make the payment.
Firstly, it is only in Italian, so you may wnat to use babelfish;
http://babelfish.altavista.com/
to translate
Secondly, there is a bug so that even if you want to donate 50 Euros, it only lets you donate 10 Euros.
Anyway, it is all for a worthy cause.
I was going to post up today's manifesto front page, but there seems to be a glitch with the picture uplaods at the moment.
There is deffo a big problem with pic uploads!
Thank goodness it didn't stop me posting that first cllass pic of Ted grant
....and what a choice of pic as well.
Did you read Peter Taafe's obituary to Ted Grant, it was amongst the most mean spirited piece of hack work I have ever read:
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2006/07/25obituary.html
AN:
Yeah, my fave choice quote. "However, Ted Grant did not recognise his limitations, which led to increasing clashes in the ranks of Militant in the late 1980s".
Don't you just have so much respect for that quote? You wait till the obituary to chuck the crap and bad feeling.
Ian Birchall's obiturary from SW's website is worth a read
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9297
Graciousness to politcal opponents is not a quality usually associated with the SWP but Birchall's tone is perfect. Taafe comes over as a bitter, sectarian fool. So out of character.
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