Workers Solidarity Movement

The WSM now has its own monthly radio show on Dublin’s Near FM. Radio Solidarity is broadcast on the first Tuesday of every month on at 15.30hrs and is also available online. We caught up with one of the show’s producers, Dermot Sreenan.

WS: How did Radio Solidarity Come About?

The idea behind Radio Solidarity really has its origins quite some time ago when Jack Byrne of Near FM (North East Access Radio), along with journalists Harry Browne and Vincent Browne, gave a public talk in the run up to May Day 2004 on the nature of the mainstream media and alternatives to it. At that time May Day protestors were labelled as dangerous conspirators intent on causing trouble. Very little media coverage was given over to the issues we were actually protesting about. 

With this in mind, and after a long hiatus, NEAR FM approached the WSM with an invitation to make a show for them.  So, a few of us interested in making this program became members of the Near Media co-op, and trained in their studios in what it takes to make a program.

WS: Why did you decide to get involved in Radio Solidarity?

Famed intellectual and anarchist, Noam Chomsky, when recently asked in an interview if he had any advice for a young person becoming interested in politics for the first time, said; ‘if Obama or the boss or somebody else in the power system says something is the way it is, either dismiss it or assume the opposite’. The established media has always been the carrier of the people in powers message.

I also remember the words of Jello Biafra, ex lead singer of punk band, The Dead Kennedys, who said: ‘Don’t hate the media, become the media.’ At its core, punk brought a do it yourself ethos to many facets of life and when the established media have no interest in your message, it becomes important to find an alternate way to get that message out. The use of the Internet and the ability to create a show, which can then be podcast and listened to when one chooses, has brought about a blossoming of alternative views.

WS: Can you give us some details on the show and its content?

By the time this interview goes to press, we will have produced five shows. Following the broadcast of each show, we then post a link to the podcast on our blog. We choose a theme for each show and then we actively seek to do interviews with those who are engaged in struggles around that issue. We do not pretend to be objective; we wish to see a very different world to the one that we now live in. People are constantly engaged in battles to bring about those changes, at a local, national and global level. On Radio Solidarity we wish to bring you the voices of those people.

Find out more:
Near FM: www.near.ie
Radio Solidarity blog: http://radio-solidarity.wsm.ie/
Radio Solidarity on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/%23!/radiosolidarity