Antonio Gramsci

Newspapers and the Workers

1916 Source: Avanti! (Piedmont Edition) December 22, 1916; Translated: b !itc"ell Abidor; T"ese are t"e da s o# subscri$tion cam$ai%ns& T"e editors and administrators o# bour%eois ne's$a$ers tid u$ t"eir dis$la 'indo's, $aint some (arnis" on t"eir s"o$ si%ns and a$$eal #or t"e attention o# t"e $asser)b (t"at is, t"e readers) to t"eir 'ares& T"eir 'ares are ne's$a$ers o# #our or si* $a%es t"at %o out e(er da or e(enin% in order to in+ect in t"e mind o# t"e reader 'a s o# #eelin% and +ud%in% t"e #acts o# current $olitics a$$ro$riate #or t"e $roducers and sellers o# t"e $ress& ,e 'ould li-e to discuss, 'it" t"e 'or-ers es$eciall , t"e im$ortance and seriousness o# t"is a$$arentl innocent act, '"ic" consists in c"oosin% t"e ne's$a$er ou subscribe to& .t is a c"oice #ull o# snares and dan%ers '"ic" must be made consciousl , a$$l in% criteria and a#ter mature re#lection& Abo(e all, t"e 'or-er must resolutel re+ect an solidarit 'it" a bour%eois ne's$a$er& And "e must al'a s, al'a s, al'a s remember t"at t"e bour%eois ne's$a$er ('"ate(er its "ue) is an instrument o# stru%%le moti(ated b ideas and interests t"at are contrar to "is& E(er t"in% t"at is $ublis"ed is in#luenced b one idea: t"at o# ser(in% t"e dominant class, and '"ic" is ineluctabl translated into a #act: t"at o# combatin% t"e laborin% class& And in #act, #rom t"e #irst to t"e last line t"e bour%eois ne's$a$er smells o# and re(eals t"is $reoccu$ation& /ut t"e beauti#ul 0 t"at is t"e u%l 0 t"in% is t"is: t"at instead o# as-in% #or mone #rom t"e bour%eois class to su$$ort it in its $itiless 'or- in its #a(or, t"e bour%eois ne's$a$ers mana%e to be $aid b &&&t"e same laborin% classes t"at t"e al'a s combat& And t"e laborin% class $a s; $unctuall , %enerousl & 1undreds o# t"ousands o# 'or-ers re%ularl and dail %i(e t"eir $ennies to t"e bour%eois ne's$a$ers, t"us assistin% in creatin% t"eir $o'er& ," 2 .# ou 'ere to as- t"is o# t"e #irst 'or-er ou 'ere to see on t"e tram or t"e street 'it" a bour%eois $a$er s$read be#ore "im ou 'ould "ear: 3/ecause . need to "ear about '"at "a$$enin%&4 And it 'ould ne(er enter "is "ead t"at t"e ne's and t"e in%redients 'it" '"ic" it is coo-ed are e*$osed 'it" an art t"at %uides "is ideas and in#luences "is s$irit in a %i(en direction& And et "e -no's t"at t"is ne's$a$er is o$$ortunist, and t"at one is #or t"e ric", t"at t"e t"ird, t"e #ourt", t"e #i#t" is tied to $olitical %rou$s 'it" interests diametricall o$$osed to "is& And so e(er da t"is same 'or-er is able to $ersonall see t"at t"e bour%eois ne's$a$ers tell e(en t"e sim$lest o# #acts in a 'a t"at #a(ors t"e bour%eois class and damns t"e 'or-in% class and its $olitics& 1as a stri-e bro-en out2 T"e 'or-ers are al'a s 'ron% as #ar as t"e bour%eois ne's$a$ers are concerned& .s t"ere a demonstration2 T"e demonstrators are al'a s 'ron%, solel because t"e are 'or-ers t"e are al'a s "ot"eads, rioters, "oodlums& T"e %o(ernment $asses a la'2 .t5s al'a s %ood, use#ul and +ust, e(en i# it5s&&&not& And i# t"ere5s

an electoral, $olitical or administrati(e stru%%le2 T"e best $ro%rams and candidates are al'a s t"ose o# t"e bour%eois $arties& And 'e5re aren5t e(en tal-in% about all t"e #acts t"at t"e bour%eois ne's$a$ers eit"er -ee$ 6uiet about, or tra(est , or #alsi# in order to mislead, delude or maintain in i%norance t"e laborin% $ublic& Des$ite t"is, t"e cul$able ac6uiescence o# t"e 'or-er to t"e bour%eois ne's$a$ers is limitless& ,e "a(e to react a%ainst t"is and recall t"e 'or-er to t"e correct e(aluation o# realit & ,e "a(e to sa and re$eat t"at t"e $ennies tossed t"ere distractedl into t"e "ands o# t"e ne'sbo are $ro+ectiles %ranted to a bour%eois ne's$a$er, '"ic" 'ill "url it, at t"e o$$ortune moment, a%ainst t"e 'or-in% masses& .# t"e 'or-ers 'ere to be $ersuaded o# t"is most elementar o# trut"s t"e 'ould learn to bo cott t"e bour%eois $ress 'it" t"e same unit and disci$line t"at t"e bour%eoisie bo cott t"e ne's$a$ers o# t"e 'or-ers, t"at is, t"e Socialist $ress& Don5t %i(e #inancial assistance to t"e bour%eois $ress, '"ic" is our ad(ersar & T"is is '"at s"ould be our battle cr in t"is moment t"at is c"aracteri7ed b t"e subscri$tion cam$ai%ns o# all t"e bour%eois ne's$a$ers& /o cott t"em, bo cott t"em, bo cott t"em8