INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………… 1 IT’S YOUR PAPER…………………………………………………………. 4 THE ROLE OF THE PAPER…………………………………………………. 5 SELLING THE PAPER……………………………………………………… 7 WRITING FOR THE PAPER………………………………………………… 10 OUR WEBSITE…………………………………………………………….. 14 SOCIAL MEDIA…………………………………………………………… 16 In the wake of the deepest crisis capitalism has transformaon of Socialist Alternave. Kshama faced since the Great Depression there has been a Sawant was elected in 2013, the first socialist broad shi to the le in American society. This is council member in a major U.S. city in decades. reflected in the increasing openness to socialism This was followed by the successful fight for $15 in especially among young people; as well as Seale in which Kshama and Socialist Alternave overwhelming support for a $15 minimum wage, played a crical role. We have played a leading role increasing taxaon on the rich and for progressive on many other issues facing working people in social reforms like marriage equality. This has fed Seale, parcularly in the fight for rent control and directly into the enormous support for Bernie affordable housing. In 2015, we proved that a Sanders' presidenal run where he has called for a socialist could not only be elected but also re- “polical revoluon” against the billionaire class elected. We raised an incredible $500,000 and and popularized socialism to an audience of created a well-oiled working class machine to get millions. It has also raised the queson sharply of out the vote. Now we are leading a grassroots whether the Democrats can be somehow campaign to get a $15 minimum wage passed in transformed into a party that serves the interests Minneapolis. These campaigns and victories are a of working people or whether a new party of the model for the development of independent le 99% must be built. Socialist Alternave has been at polics around the country. the forefront of making the argument that Sanders' polical revoluon should connue and not be trapped within the confines of the corporate Democrac Party. Since Occupy burst forth in 2011 in revolt against corporate dominaon and massive inequality, there has also been a reemergence of social struggle. The sharpest expression of this over the past two years has been the Black Lives Maer upsurge among black youth which has created a real crisis for the establishment parcularly in a number of major cies. Even the growth of right populism which we have seen in recent months can be a spur to building a fightback on the streets in this highly polarized environment. A Naonal Plaorm The past two years have witnessed the Members of Boston Socialist Alternave selling the April 2016 paper

It’s Your Paper Page !1 We are now the most visible socialist force in the As we are seeing 2016 is opening up a bale of country. We will soon reach 1,000 members but ideas on the le. Presidenal elecons create a have the potenal to go much further than this in policized atmosphere which socialists must seek the stormy period we are entering. Developing a to ulize. They can also create real challenges cohesive Marxist party of thousands which can parcularly in the form of “lesser evilism” which intervene effecvely in events requires an acve we have to combat. All of this points to the crical and educated membership. This points to the need need to get our message out in every way possible. for more theorecal and analycal material that In the next period, if we are to really become the can assist our collecve polical development. This leading force among the growing numbers of must now be a priority for our Editorial Board. workers and youth who recognize that capitalism Our work in Seale and Kshama's re-elecon has offers no future and want fundamental change, also created a tremendous plaorm for us to then we will have to take significant steps to intervene in naonal developments. We are develop our workers' media including first and demonstrang the capacity to reach a much wider foremost our paper but also our website and social naonal audience with our ideas. We first did this media. with Kshama's response to the State of the Union in 2014. But in recent months we have reached a broader audience in a much more sustained way through our Movement4Bernie iniave. At MarchForBernie – which we led in several cies – thousands came on the streets and heard us talk about socialism and building a party of the 99%. Kshama's arcle on Counterpunch entled “The (un) Democrac Party: Why We Need a New Party of the 99%” on was viewed by shared over 10,000 mes. As of early May, our peon calling on Bernie to run all the way to November as an independent has been signed by over 20,000 Members of our sister organizaon, Socialist Acon (CWI - Hong people. And Darlea Scrugg’s takedown of Fox Kong), use their paper to start conversaons on the street. News host Neil Cavuto was viewed by millions. Moving to a Monthly Paper Socialist Alternave has been a monthly publicaon for nearly two years. The increased frequency has allowed us to cover the rapid expansion of social struggle, parcularly the fight for $15 and Black Lives Maer and developments in the presidenal elecon in a more mely way, though undoubtedly there have been points in the past period when we would rather have had a weekly! Socialist Alternave has been sold on the streets of Ferguson and Balmore, Chicago, and Minneapolis as BLM protests erupted; on the doorsteps in Seale during Kshama's reelecon campaign and at Bernie Sanders' massive rallies in state aer Members of NYC Socialist Alternave selling the February 2016 paper state. During the week leading up to the caucuses in Washington state, we sold 800 papers in Seale. It’s Your Paper Page !2 A few weeks later during the "Bale of New York," workplaces, on campuses and at demonstraons. as the establishment went all out to crush the This is definitely an alien concept in the era of polical revoluon, we sold 500 papers at rallies in social media. But it is nevertheless essenal for the Bronx, Manhaan, and Brooklyn. building the socialist movement; we cannot simply rely on internet contacts. It is also crical for Since going monthly we have also significantly uning our far flung organizaon around a expanded our subscripon base (we received over common line and approach in the complex polical $2,000 in online subscripons in the first three developments which are rocking the country. months of 2015 alone) and have increased our online content to an average of an arcle a day. Our Naonal Commiee has decided to make We have also set up a number of new secons on 2016 the “year of the paper” where we our website including a secon for material in qualitavely expand our circulaon through Spanish. Each month, we post several new arcles expanding our subscripon base and get the bulk in Spanish, either translaons or original material. of our members involved in selling the paper on a regular basis. A key part of this will be the The monthly paper has generated a lot of conscious use of targets in all the branches. This enthusiasm inside our rapidly-growing organizaon will also help to lay the financial foundaon for where the bulk of members have joined in the last further steps forward in developing the two years. We have a wider range of comrades publicaons. wring for the paper and the website than ever before. The purpose of this short pamphlet is to assist our branches in this effort by explaining more fully the But this does not mean that we are where we role of the paper in a revoluonary organizaon, need to be. We face a major challenge in trying to giving ideas for how to sell the paper effecvely, recreate a socialist culture centered around the making the process of wring for our publicaons use of our physical paper. The paper is a vital tool more transparent and last but not least improving for an acve, fighng organizaon where we seek our use of social media. to engage polical conversaons on street corners and on doorsteps in working class communies, in Tom Crean - May 6th, 2016

It’s Your Paper Page !3 Selling the paper during Kshama’s reelection campaign

“At the doorsteps campaigning for Kshama Sawant, Many people have bought the paper from me on I never end any discussion on the doorstep the doorsteps. Some people have even subscribed without offering the paper: ‘Would you want to and signed up to join!” get a copy of our newspaper?’ Pitching the paper allows us me to link the immediate issue we’re campaigning on to our socialist vision. I oen say: ‘For us, it's not just about this one elecon. The whole system is broken. The economy is broken. The polical system is broken. ‘We want to build a whole new kind of polics that represents working people, not corporaons. We need mass movements like the Fight for 15, independent candidates, and a whole new party that doesn't take corporate cash and offers us a Patrick Ayers tool to fight for our interests. Want to check it Seattle, WA out?’

“The basis of a news story must be something lively and specific, as well as being timely - something that has just happened, that took place a day or two before or not long before. But the interesting facts can be noted and singled out only if the worker correspondent has a point of view.”

-Trotsky in The Role of the Worker Correspondent

It’s Your Paper Page !4 To start we should restate the role of the print Socialist Alternave. Each issue forces the paper in a revoluonary socialist organizaon Editorial Board, in consultaon with the Execuve under the condions which exist in the U.S. in the Commiee, to decide what are the key issues and 21st century. struggles at the moment from our point of view and, flowing from that, our analysis, demands The purpose of our paper is not primarily to and next steps for the movement. Of course our report news, nor is it an academic journal aiming audience in this is not just our membership or simply to debate ideas in a vacuum.. Our paper is other acvists but the working people and youth a campaigning paper. It is an indispensable tool to we can reach at protests or community paper help fight for a socialist program and to build our sales. organizaon. The fact that there is very limited space in a 12- On page two of the paper we list “What We Stand page monthly forces us to priorize which issues For”. Arcles are carefully selected to take up key we are going to highlight. This of course is not to polical issues, and the paper combines agitaon say that the issues we choose are the only around concrete demands with propaganda to important ones and we can and do use our flesh out our unique perspecves, program, and website to supplement the paper. strategy to a wider audience. Our paper also plays a crical role in polically educang members Moving to a monthly is helping make the paper and supporters. It is our most important tool for more relevant to the work of the organizaon. For recruing new members and helps unify our example, the paper and individual arcles can be enre membership around a common polical more easily integrated into branch discussions on project. current events and ongoing movements. Every month, a week aer the paper comes out, each “The newspaper can and should be the branch should have a 20 minute discussion during the business secon of the meeng about the ideological leader of the party, evolving new issue. Comrades should discuss whether they theoretical truths, tactical principles, think the mix of arcles was right and whether general organisational ideas, and the parcular arcles make a coherent argument that general tasks of the whole party at any will help the reader understand our program and given moment.” draw socialist conclusions. At every point, the key issue with our material is -Lenin from “What is to be Done?” applying the transional method: are we correctly gauging the consciousness of the audience we are First and foremost the paper should act as the addressing whether it be a secon of the working organizaon's “collecve organizer.” The paper is class, radicalizing young people or acvists in a produced by the Editorial Board which is struggle? Not all arcles are addressed to the appointed by and responsible to our Execuve same audience. Commiee, the day to day elected leadership of It’s Your Paper Page !5 We must then ask whether the points we make Each branch should elect a paper organizer. The will resonate or whether we are unintenonally paper organizer's role is to promote the role of creang obstacles to people understanding what our publicaons, centrally the paper, in the work we mean. of the branch. The paper organizer will make sure that the branch discusses each new issue of the The paper is meant to be a tool for dialogue and paper of Socialist Alternave and will then winning people to our ideas. But in a dialogue we compile a brief report for the Editorial Board must also listen and reflect on what people tell us based on that discussion. They will work to about our line and our material. This is why engage all members in acvely selling the paper reports from the experience of selling it are very and will lead the drive to get all our members to important to send to the Editorial Board to help subscribe to the paper. They will also have improve the next arcle and issue. We need your responsibility for idenfying stories of interest for feedback to sharpen and hone our arguments so the paper or the website; idenfying potenal they can have the maximum effect on radicalizing new authors, copy editors, etc. workers and young people. Each branch should look for someone who has Every comrade should see they have a role in the photography skills and can take good photos of strengthening of our paper as well as our website protests, pickets, etc. The best pictures of acons and increasing their reach. In order to streamline show the energy and mood, along with the communicaon between branches and diversity of those parcipang. Pictures of individuals and the Editorial Board have created a banners and signs can be good, but have to also new email address: focus on the people holding the banner or sign. [email protected] It's also good to get pictures that give some sense of the size of an acon, especially if it's well which Josh Koritz will monitor and help ensure aended. that all queries are responded to in a mely way.

LENIN ON THE ROLE OF THE raise here, one aer another, the various PAPER quesons of workers’ life in general and of working-class democracy in parcular. The The Workers and Pravda workers of St Petersburg have made a beginning. It is to their energy that the proletariat of Russia The chronicle of workers’ life is only just owes the workers’ first daily newspaper aer the beginning to develop into a permanent feature of grim years of social stagnaon. Pravda. There can be no doubt that subsequently, in addion to leers about abuses in factories, Let us, then, carry their cause forward, unitedly about the awakening of a new secon of the supporng and developing the workers’ paper of proletariat, about collecons for one or another the capital, the harbinger of the spring to come, field of the workers’ cause, the workers’ when the whole of Russia will be covered by a newspaper will receive reports about the views network of workers’ organisaons with workers’ and senments of the workers, elecon newspapers. We, the workers, have yet to build campaigns. The elecons of workers’ delegates, this Russia, and we shall build it. what the workers read, the quesons of parcular Extract, wrien by Lenin in August 1912. interest to them, and so on. Published in Pravda Collected Works. Vol. 18, pp300-301 The workers’ newspaper is a workers’ forum. Before the whole of Russia the workers should

It’s Your Paper Page !6 Paper sales give us a reason to approach people with ordinary people and points the way forward. with our polics, a tool to stop someone in the Success at selling the newspaper and signing up street or approach someone and start a polical new contacts increases as comrades gain conversaon with them. While social media is confidence speaking to people about our polics. increasingly how people digest news and With pracce comrades get beer at explaining commentary, it cannot replace an in-person our arguments for independent polical acon, interacon that is so crical in polics. for building movements, and for a socialist Selling the newspaper in our communies, at transformaon of society. But it must also be workplaces, college campuses, and at weekly stressed that it is crical not just to speak to paper sales, offers us an opportunity to talk with people but to listen carefully to what they have to people about polics and how the world can be say. changed. At each interacon we should strive to One queson people frequently ask is: find out where people are at, the key issues on their minds and try to connect these to our Why not give it away for free? analysis and elements of our program. For one thing, we can’t afford to give it away. We Every branch should strive to have a weekly get no corporate adversing. We aim to make the paper sale, ideally with a table in a working class paper self-financing. neighborhood. More importantly, we should always point out to people that our paper talks about the issues from a working class standpoint and for that reason we do not receive any corporate sponsorship through ads, etc. We believe that building a movement to change society and end the rule of the billionaires will require sacrifice and struggle. Asking for money is part of showing that we are serious and that we need the help of working people to develop our publicaons. And frankly, people are also more likely to read the paper if they paid for it. Finally, asking for a donaon for the paper can Member of Boston SA selling the September 2015 paper. help us si through the people we meet at a The interacons we have with people are a vital paper sale to idenfy who is worth discussing part of developing our perspecves on how with further, who may be interested in joining consciousness is changing. This link is decisive to Socialist Alternave and the struggle for a socialist developing a fighng program that both connects society, and who just wants to talk.

It’s Your Paper Page !7 HOW TO SELL THE PAPER

For some people, selling the paper on the street will become more comfortable with approaching comes more easily than others. However, people and offering them our paper. everyone can do it. Selling the paper is a skill we can all develop. Every member is capable of building Socialist Alternave and selling the newspaper as part of that process. No maer how shy, the more you find out about how capitalism is the root cause of the problems society faces and the more you agree with the need to build a revoluonary party to fight for socialism, the more you want to sell the paper. Over me, through pracce, discussions, and Comrade in LSR (CWI in Brazil) selling their paper. exchanging experiences and ideas, the more you

GENERAL TIPS paper to, the more you will sell, and the more conversaons you will have about socialist ideas. 1. Sell the paper on our polics. People will be more interested if they know it has a unique polical 4. It's good to have an “edge” like a peon or perspecve to offer. It's also more likely to lead to an campaign, but not necessary. We can engage people engaging discussion with the person. You can show even if all we have is the paper. If we do have a them a parcular arcle and discuss the polical campaign, make sure to use the paper! It's a tool to issues raised by it: “We have an arcle making the transion from the specific issue we're campaigning case for Bernie to run as an independent.” You can on to our broader socialist program, and to interest also sell the paper on its more general polics: “Have people in our party. you heard of Socialist Alternave? We think the 5. Assume support. Polls indicate that people are economy and polical system is rigged by big open to socialist ideas, especially youth and people business. We campaign for mass movements, a new of color. If you are confidently talking to someone party of the 99%, and socialist policies. Would you about our ideas, they are more likely to listen than if like to check it out?” you aren't sure. 2. Paper sales are a team effort! It's best to start each 6. Don't waste your me with people who just want paper sale, whether at a table in a working class to argue. You could end up missing the opportunity neighborhood, outside a workplace or at a large to talk to someone who is genuinely interested. event, with a huddle of all members to set targets and discuss our approach. If we are seng up a table 7. If they say yes, ask for “Any donaon”. The it is worth pung up signs with good clear slogans suggested donaon is $2. One member sold a paper that will get people's aenon. We should also, if for $100! possible, have buons for sale. These get people to 8. Let people know we're a party they can join. Tell stop and are in themselves an excellent source of them about Kshama and any campaigns we're fighng fund. building. Get their contact informaon and ask them 3. Be persistent but not overly aggressive. Don't just if you can give them a call to talk more. If they seem stand back and wait for people to come to you. really interested, try to schedule a meeng on the Approach people in a friendly manner, “Can I offer spot.. you a copy of our paper?” Know that not everyone Find the pace that’s right for you, but do give it a you approach will buy the paper. Rejecon is OK – it’s shot. a numbers game. The more people you offer the

It’s Your Paper Page !8 What if there's not a place with a lot of foot the workday? This may even mean selling at the traffic where you can set up a table? edge of a parking lot. It is absolutely true that some cies have more of Malls or major transportaon hubs are also worth a pedestrian culture than others and that in some invesgang although obviously we will need to places it is very difficult to find a place to set up a be on public space. successful table. Is it possible to sell the paper door to door in a In this situaon we need to be more creave: parcular neighborhood? Is there a major workplace nearby where we We must also develop networks of people we could sell the paper at the beginning or the end of know who will buy the paper although obviously we also want to turn them into subscribers.

From Labor Militant to Socialist Alternative

I have had the honor to write for, sell and promote and acvity in the struggle for socialism. We must the public face of our organizaon for 21 years. be unrelenng in building an effecve Socialist The importance of our paper flows from the Alternave newspaper because today’s crisis of standpoint of having a dialogue with the working capitalism is creang the present and future class and poor, to test out our ideas, analysis and gravediggers of this insidious and diseased system demands for consideraon, adopon, acon and of violence, poverty, racism and environmental verificaon. destrucon. Let’s make sure every potenal revoluonary worker and youth has on their To write for our newspaper has allowed me to kitchen table and bookshelf a copy of Socialist develop and hone my skills as a writer, organizer Alternave. and speaker. To translate the ideas and method of Marxism in plain language that workers and youth can understand, that will speak to their reality under capitalism and racism, playing a role in conjuncon with events inspiring them to act in their own name for internaonal socialism and workers’ democracy. To sell our newspaper is the greatest task and reward for all our polical discussions on every level of our organizaon. This is where we learn how to listen and engage working people’s consciousness and struggles. Some of the best moments I’ve had as an SA organizer have been during a community or workplace paper sale, receiving feedback, negave or posive from working people. Each conversaon, allows us to speak the language of the working class. Our paper is an instrument in the internaonal workers’ movement, it’s a living and breathing Eljeer Hawkins organ that we shape through our parcipaon New York, NY

It’s Your Paper Page !9 ANSWERING FREQUENTLY ASKED members also play other roles in the work of the QUESTIONS organizaon and this can limit the resources we have at any given moment. There are many Who are the members of the Editorial Board and excellent ideas which we are not able to follow up. what is their role? And it can also happen that we do not feel that a The current membership of the Editorial Board parcular arcle proposal will work or will simply (EB) is George MF Brown, Tom Crean, Josh Koritz, require editorial resources that can't be spared at Ty Moore, Calvin Priest, Jess Spear, Bryan Watson that me. and Tony Wilsdon. Tom is the editor of the paper Again any comrade can submit a proposal or a and Ty and Calvin are the web editors. wrien piece to the EB. It is our obligaon to reply The EB's central task is the producon of the in a mely way. paper. We produce an outline of the next issue in the first week of each month which is amended as we approach the date we send the paper to the printer (usually the 20th or 21st of the month). “The first thing is to examine All naonal material published in the name of yourself rigorously: What do I Socialist Alternave must be approved by the EB or the Execuve Commiee although naturally want to talk about? For whom? different types of material require different levels of editorial oversight. For example a report from a And why? This is a precondition demonstraon is far more straighorward than an analysis of a major polical development. for anything else. The question of Where do ideas for arcle come from and how does the EB decide which stories to publish? how to write is also of enormous Many ideas and proposals are generated at the importance, but it has to come weekly meengs of the EB. Ideas are also submied by branches and individual comrades. second.” At any given point we have to clearly priorize what will be the key issues and developments to -Trotsky in The Role of the Worker Correspondent which we devote editorial resources. Our EB

It’s Your Paper Page !10 I have not wrien for the paper – what is the best A member of the EB will be assigned to work with way to get started? you. For arcles intended for the paper, the EB member will provide an outline, more or less One opon is to discuss with your branch organizer detailed depending on the nature of the piece. or paper organizer about wring a report on a Once your dra is submied, you will receive demonstraon or key issue or development in your comments and suggesons for eding or, if area. One thing our paper and website needs more necessary, reworking secons of the arcle. of are short arcles of this type which show that we are present and acve across the country. It In-depth pieces and important arcles on polical helps to make our organizaon more aracve to developments or social struggles are then sent to people in the South, the Midwest or any other part the EB as a whole for review. This can lead to of the US when they see material about further amendments. developments near to where they live. If you are wring for the paper it can happen that We have also launched a new feature entled an arcle will go through several dras which can “Workers' Lives” both in the paper and the website be a challenging process but is oen necessary to where comrades (or non-comrades) can describe hone our message. At the same me we want the their experience of the joys of working under voice of our members to come through in the capitalism and how much they adore their bosses finished product. Please be paent and open to (pseudonyms may be necessary). Here is what discussing and pung in more work aer the first we're looking for: dra is done. Describe the nature of the work. What is the usual deadline for material in the What are the problems facing people in your paper? workplace (low pay, long hours, lack of healthcare, In general we try to commission arcles two weeks working condions)? in advance of when they are due. Of course when Is there a union? Are you acve in it? Does the events occur quickly, the deadline may be shorter, union effecvely mobilize workers on the job? Are somemes significantly shorter. there examples of people resisng aempts to squeeze more worker out of them, unsafe What else should a writer be doing? condions, sexist or racist managers, etc? Writers should be on the lookout for strong images For the paper we need to keep these pieces under to illustrate their piece. If the arcle is a report on a 500 words; for the website we can go up to 800. local struggle or protest it would be good if we had A third opon is to write a review of a movie, book our own image. As already pointed out each branch or TV series - but get in touch with us before you should try to idenfy and develop a branch start wring! photographer. Writers should also try to think of a good headline I have been asked to write for the paper or my for their piece. Your ideas are oen beer than proposal was accepted – what is the process? ours!

“When you write, picture to yourself, as clearly as you can, how your article would sound being read aloud in your own shop at the factory, or in the one next to yours or in some other plant nearby.”

-Trotsky in The Role of the Worker Correspondent

It’s Your Paper Page !11 LENIN: On Workers Writing for the Paper

It is a misconcepon that writers and only writers not intended as contribuons to the paper, ie, not (in the professional sense of the term) can for publicaon, but by way of comradely successfully contribute to a publicaon; on the intercourse with the editors and to keep them contrary, it will be vital and alive only if for five informed, and not only about facts and incidents, leading and regularly contribung writers there but about the prevailing senment and the are five hundred or five thousand contributors everyday, “uninteresng” humdrum, roune side who are not writers. One of the shortcomings of of the movement. People who have not lived the old lskra, one which I always tried to rid it of abroad cannot imagine how much we need such (and which has grown to monstrous proporons in leers (there is absolutely nothing secret about the new Iskra) was that too lile was done for it them either, and to write such an uncoded leer from Russia. We always used to print everything, once or twice a week is really something the praccally without excepon, that we received busiest person can do). So write to us about the from Russia. A really live organ should print only a discussions at the workers’ study circles, the tenth of what it receives, using the rest as material nature of these discussions, the subjects of study, for the informaon and guidance of the and the things the workers ask about; about the journalists. We must have as many party workers state of propaganda and agitaonal work, and as possible correspond with us, correspond in the about contacts among the general public, in the ordinary, not the journalisc sense of the term. army, and among the youth; above all write about any dissasfacon the workers feel with us Social- Isolaon from Russia, the engulfing atmosphere of Democrats, about the things that trouble them, the accursed émigré slough, weighs so heavily on about their suggesons, cricisms, etc. one here that living contact with Russia is our only salvaon. Let all remember that we want in fact, Maers relang to the praccal organisaon of the and not just in word, to consider (and to make) our work are parcularly interesng now, and there is organ the organ of the enre “majority”, the organ no way of acquainng the editors with them of the mass of Russian comrades. Let everyone except by a lively correspondence not of a who regards this organ as his own and who is journalisc nature, but simply of a comradely kind. conscious of the dues of a Social-Democrac Of course, not everyone has the ability or Party member abandon once and for all the inclinaon to write, but... don’t say “I can’t”, say “I bourgeois habit of thinking and acng as is don’t want to”; given the desire, one or two customary towards legally published papers – the comrades who could write can be found in any habit of feeling: it is their business to write and circle, any group, even the smallest, even the most ours to read. All Social-Democrats must work for minor (the minor groups are oen especially the Social-Democrac paper. We ask everyone to interesng, for they somemes do the most contribute, and especially the workers. Give the important, though inconspicuous, part of the workers the widest opportunity to write for our work). paper, to write as much as they possibly can about Collected Works. Vol. 7, pp523-528 their daily lives, interests, and work - without such material a Social-Democrac organ will not be Wrien on 29 November (12 December) 1904, worth a brass farthing and will not deserve the published in leaflet form in December 1904 name. in addion, please send us private leers,

It’s Your Paper Page !12 It’s Your Paper Testimonials said I was a typical communist because I wanted to “take away his free speech.” The bus loads of kids kept coming and I kept on with the paper. Aer an hour I “The other day my newly formed Dorchester branch sold 7 papers for 30 bucks and got 4 contacts! had our regularly scheduled paper sale at the JFK T That old man watched me. He got real upset when a stop. The comrade bringing the table was unable to young man handed me a twenty dollar bill and his make it and so it was just me and someone else with a email address. But that is ok. Because seven people are back pack full of newspapers. We were going to just sit going to read about the ideas of socialism, and around and wait for branch but we figured to just sell hopefully they will come to a meeng. But I never some papers. It is always more difficult without a table would have met them if we hadn’t just stood outside and some signs with catchy slogans and buons. This is and sold the paper.” the staon where the UMASS students are and college kids love buons. But we tried anyways. Trump was on the front of the paper so we were leading with Stop Trump’s racism, check out a socialist newspaper. A man that was about 60 came up and so I asked him to buy a copy. He called me some awful names and talked about how horrible I was because I was “a communist that supported murderers”. I told him that was not the case. He yelled that his wife was from Czechoslovakia and so “he knew.” I began to ignore him but he kept going. This wasn’t the first me something like this had happened but he just would not go away. I Toiya Shester finally asked him if he would leave me alone and he Boston, MA

“Our branches recently aended a #Jusce4Jamar rally In the final minutes I had before I had to go, she gave against the county aorney's decision to not prosecute me her contact info and said she would like to check the two police officers responsible for the shoong out the paper and think about the polics. I asked her death of Jamar Clark. While discussing this outrageous if it was okay to send an email to follow up with her injusce with people at the rally we also asked them to about considering membership in SA. She said that get involved in 15 Now Minneapolis and to check out would be fine, adding that she would definitely read Socialist Alternave. the paper. I approached a protester during the march that I emailed her the day aer the rally. A week later her followed the rally. I presented the 15 Now peon, and reply came back. She wanted to meet for a contact she eagerly signed, cing the tough me she and her discussion. During our meet-up, one of the first things two sons have had finding decent paying jobs. But she she said was that she had read the enre paper. We also expressed regret that she could not volunteer as then had a wide-ranging conversaon about much as she would like to, given that she lives far from homelessness, Hilary Clinton's an-worker record and the neighborhoods where the upcoming ballot the need for building mass working class movements campaign will operate. to address the problems we had just outlined. The paper had seeded the discussion at many turns. At the The march was ending and I had to leave, but I felt like, end of our conversaon, she agreed to join and handed given her strong support for $15, she might be me cash dues. Thinking about the role of the paper in interested in SA, so I quickly presented the March issue this aempt to find a contact, I was impressed by the of the paper (Issue #21) to show her the arcle on the way its effecvely policized tles and clear layout fight for $15. As I turned a few pages, an arcle on assisted me during a moment of clumsiness.” homelessness in Seale ("Capitalism Creates Homelessness") as well as an arcle on Clinton's brand of feminism ("Bernie Versus Hilary: What's a Feminist James Hardwig to Do?") caught her eye. She asked if she could take Minneapolis, MN the paper home with her. The paper's headlines sold themselves.

It’s Your Paper Page !13 The Revolutionary Socialist Website - SocialistAlternative.org

Nothing can replace the revoluonary newspaper building the socialist movement in our workplaces, as an effecve tool to reach people with our ideas college campuses, and communies. and recruit them to the socialist movement but we This is why reports from naonal events, with an also need to have a regularly updated website as overall introducon, are requested and published. more and more working class people and youth They showcase the work we do all across the look to social media and the internet for news and country and also provide a snapshot of the mood commentary. and polics of social movements. We aim to make our website the go-to place for Tips for wring reports socialist analysis of current events, history, and culture. It also serves as a storehouse from which 1. Before aending a major event, it is the we can share our pamphlets, other publicaons, responsibility of the branch leadership to decide and materials. All arcles from our newspaper are who is going to write the report, and then to look also posted on the website And, since the website, over the report (as quickly as possible) before unlike the paper, has no space limits, we can post sending it to the website. longer analyses and items that could not published in the paper (such as long reviews on movies, 2.The reports should be wrien for a broad books, or reports from events we aend). audience – crucial points to report are the mood, Nevertheless we strive to keep all our arcles from the slogans, taccs used, next steps discussed, etc. becoming too long. (see example below). Informaon on how many papers were sold and how many contacts we met Wring reports for the website is important for internal discussion, but will The website also doubles as a recruiter. Since generally be cut from reports before they're Kshama Sawant was elected in 2013 we've had a published online. much higher local and naonal profile than ever 3.Reports should be succinct (usually 150-200 before, which has led to thousands of people words), include pictures (high quality) and videos if looking up Socialist Alternave, vising the possible. website, and many of them clicking the "Join SA" link. But one barrier to joining is that many people 4. The reports should be sent to the Editorial Board do not realize that we are an organizaon you can at Editors@SocialistAlternave.org. join, that we are an acvist organizaon with hundreds of dedicated members all across the US,

It’s Your Paper Page !14 Example Report “On Tuesday evening, November 25, over a thousand people gathered in Union Square to demand jusce for Michael Brown. Frustraon with the status quo reached a boiling point as people shut down the Lincoln Tunnel (tunnel between NY and NJ), FDR Drive (one of NYC’s main highways), and other major highways throughout New York City. Members of Socialist Alternave successfully rallied, marched, led chants, and opened up a broader conversaon about combang police brutality, racism, and capitalism with clear demands. Student groups, community organizaons, and labor unions made up a large poron of the massive crowd. Throughout the evening, low-wage workers in various corporate chains along the route raised their fists from behind counters and windows. The link between racism, police repression, and economic Socialist Alternave website exploitaon permeated the consciousness of both parcipants in the march and supporve bystanders.” Paper of the Socialist Party (CWI in the UK) of the Socialist Party Paper Paper of Linkse Socialistische Partij (CWI in Belgium) of Linkse Socialistische Partij Paper

It’s Your Paper Page !15 Many people, young people especially, now get reach of our material on social media sites, their news largely from social media: Facebook, parcularly by asking comrades across the country Twier, Reddit, and Google+ just to name a few. to share and retweet arcles - there by giving a With effecve social media, our material can reach "signal boost" to our analysis. tens of thousands of people who we’d otherwise Especially when major events break out, our not be able to reach. We can also use social media polical analysis can spread well beyond our for other important purposes, such as geng normal reach, and in some cases gain viral donaons or building local events. aenon - to name a few: Kshama’s response to Our social media should demonstrate the the 2014 State of the Union address, Darlea's Fox seriousness of our organizaon, amplify our News smackdown, and Kshama's recent arcle on victories, and create a reach for our polical ideas Counterpunch. In the days following the SOTU that goes far beyond our exisng support base. We response, we received the biggest flood of internet have recruited several members whose first contacts in our organizaon’s history to that point. contact with SA was through our social media, Our campaigns, through their own social media including in areas of the country where we have accounts, are perhaps the best examples of our no method of in-person recruitment. social media work and the potenal that exists to One advantage of our organizaonal methods is build professional online presence. During our that we are able to make decisions and then 2015 primary campaign in Seale, the Vote concentrate our resources together for the Sawant Twier account had over 600,000 maximum possible impact. The Editorial Board will “impressions,” or the number of unique be spearheading ways that we can expand the interacons on their twier feed.

SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUETTE that people will click back on our Socialist Alternave page and get more updates from it. As members of Socialist Alternave, social media is a polical acvity. We should be skillful in the For revoluonaries, social media can be a crucial process of following current events and wring up tool for reaching working class people with our brief and sharp polical commentary, even if it’s ideas and to appeal for them to join us. But, it is just selecng which quote from our arcle to not a substuon for our other tasks, methods, or feature when you share it. for the democrac funcon of our branches. Members are asked to refrain from internal We all play a pivotal role in how much tracon our discussion on social media, as it is not a organizaon makes on social media, as the more democrac structure and can harm our shares our posts have, the further they will reach. organizaon. Any quesons members have about Whenever possible, share SA arcles from the SA our program, posion on certain issues, a posion Facebook page or Twier profile, rather than our public officials and spokespeople take, and so posng them as links. This increases the likelihood on should be discussed primarily within our branch meengs and structures.

It’s Your Paper Page !16 Facebook — General Strategies We should have two goals when thinking about When your branch creates a local event page, our Facebook presence in a polical way: first, invite all your friends (Facebook makes this easy increasing the readership of arcles, videos, and now), and post the event in local groups, or on memes posted by the naonal page. Second, how local pages, making sure to explain why that group building a local periphery of people who we can or page would find the event interesng. Re-share engage and will aend our events. the event once every few days and ask comrades in the area, and friends to re-share and like it. All comrades should go to Facebook/ SocialistAlternaveUSA and, under the “Like” Small amounts of money can be used to boost buon, make sure to “Like” our page and choose posts in Facebook. This should be considered as a “See First” so that all comrades always see the way for branches to specifically boost events. The material we post. This way you will always see new back end of this allows you to target age and and interesng arcles in your feed. When you see geographic areas to tailor the reach to people a post, make sure to like it and share it. Sharing most likely to aend. Make sure your event has an works best when you write your own short image (without too much text), is clearly wrien, introducon explaining why your friends would and has some aendees already before boosng. like it, and/or what you find interesng or Usually $20 is enough to reach over 1,000 people compelling. and $50 can get you to 5,000 depending on sengs. Twitter — General Strategies Twier has changed hugely in the past few years. If you search for #BlackLivesMaer you will see There are some communies that sll use it as a a conversaon going on about the movement, means of naonal communicaon, and there is which you can join by using that hashtag. the chance that it will be taken up again during Somemes hashtags are also used for emphasis, movements, parcularly because it does not have or signifying something in the tweet that you the same liming algorithms that Facebook has to think should be a common experience or control what exactly you see. senment (ex. #sorrynotsorry). A few guides: • Comment or even live-tweet at events. Live- tweeng is when you aempt to, in real me, let Follow reporters, not news outlets. At mes we • twier followers know what is happening as it can get coverage for events, or get the aenon happens, 140 characters at a me. This can be of a reporter through tweeng at them. Always difficult without a computer, but if other people keep it professional and courteous – don’t try to are there, it is a way to get followers. guilt people into covering the story. • If you are at an event that others are live- • Engage with people. If someone writes tweeng, interact with them. Write tweets that something interesng, ask a queson, make a are observaons and tag the people live- comment. tweeng in them. Reply and interact with the • Use hashtags (#). Hashtags are used to other people tweeng about the event. aggregate topics across the whole twier-verse.

Instagram — General Strategies

The feed algorithms for Instagram are less quickly post photos to Facebook and Twier restricve than Facebook. However, it is more simultaneously. Also, follow local photographers difficult to create a following on Instagram than and acvists, you may learn about protests or Facebook or Twier. Consider using it as a way to events you didn’t hear about in me to aend. It’s Your Paper Page !17