Society for Co-operative Studies Bulletin, 28

The co-operative movement and its press: Foreword

The importance to a co-operative movement of its press is frequently emphasised and it seemed timely to take a more detailed look at what it involved, with some particular reference to consumer co-operatives. 

We are grateful that W.P. Watkins accepted our invitation to set the general scene. We sought particular reports from different countries and movements which would take up some of these themes:

• The needs of the movement to be served;
• The service to interests outside the movement;
• The economics of maintaining a co-operative press
• Any tension between dependence on co-operative resources and freedom to comments on co-operative issues;
• Relations with the general non-co-operative press.

We renew our thanks to Lily Howe, Jean Boniface, and Nils Thedin for their reports from Britain, France, and Sweden.