A collectively agreed document on WSM publications as drawn up by National Conference Nov 2015

Our publications

1. The WSM wants to use our printed form of publications for articles that
- present anarchist theory for a general audience that relates to lived experience
- provide an analysis of campaigns and struggles, in particular giving voice to those involved
- outline the WSM position on issues and struggles
- provide guides on how to carry out organising tasks
- will be a resource for people involved in struggles
- will inspire people to act
- use accessible language

2. We will produce a printed publication with long form articles as a magazine called Common Threads and a publication of short form articles as a paper called Solidarity Times.

3.1 The magazine will
Educate and help people organise
Be self financing
Win people to an anarchist perspective
Build solidarity between struggles
Increase understanding of our theory, practise and history

3.2 The Magazine content will favour
Anarchist Theory, practise and history
How to organise articles
Anarchist analysis of current struggles including international struggles
Interviews with activists

3.3 The Magazine Target audience will be activists

3.4 The Magazine will engage its readers through
Getting people to write and submit content
Getting people to distribute
Interviewing activists

3.5 Magazine resources
We will produce in the region of 500 copies of a magazine about twice a year that will be self financing but whose print cost will be 1000 euro an issue.  The length and writing effort of articles will be similar to that found in Red & Black Revolution and Irish Anarchist Review but we will return to a system of the editorial committee having two rounds of editing submitted articles and returning suggestions to the authors for modification of the articles.  We want to continue to have a strong layout.

4.1 The paper will
Get people to identify with the paper & WSM
Encourage solidarity between struggles
Grow our readership and distributors
Encourage people to write for us
Get people to engage with WSM

4.2 The paper content will favour
Articles that influence peoples attitudes
Articles that prove reliable.

4.3 The paper target audience is
People attending demonstrations

4.4 The paper will engage people through
Inviting people to help create content, photos, and reports
Personal accounts of struggle
Interviewing and encouraging contributions from women in particular
Interviews, especially across issues
A regular entertaining feature/column

4.5 Newspaper resources
We will produce around 4 issues of a short form paper each year but production will be for existing mass distribution opportunities like major demonstrations with the aim of also mobilising contacts to help with distribution.  We will subsidise paper production by 400 euros per issue.  Articles produced will be unique rather than taken from our existing media.  The editing process will be members submitting the articles to an online space members have access to for feedback and then modifying them based on the comments other members post. The editor group will ensure modifications have been addressed, the articles broadly agree with WSM policy and are free of factual errors and spelling mistakes.  We want to maintain a strong design aesthetic.

5. Pamphlets - we will also produce pamphlets around specific questions where resources allow