Congratulations to you
For those who don't read the small print on the cover carefully: this is the 20th issue of Green Left Weekly. That makes it an anniversary of sorts. And thereby hangs a tale — quite a few of them, in fact.
When the idea for this newspaper was first floated more than a year ago, no-one could be sure whether it was a goer or a pipedream. Would it really be possible to create a paper which could become a forum for a broad spectrum of the left, ecologists, and other progressive movements — and which could survive financially? The final answer isn't in on that question, but the odds certainly look better than they did 12 months ago, or even back in February, when the first issue appeared.
You only need to flip through recent issues of Green Left, and then think back to where the Australian progressive press was a year ago, to realise how far we have come. In the spread — geographically and politically — of our contributors, in the quantity and quality of input from writers, artists, cartoonists and photographers, Green Left is already more than anyone had dared to hope would be possible.
Equally encouraging and crucial is the number of people who have offered support in other ways — helping with the typing, wrapping subscriptions, encouraging their friends to subscribe, selling the paper on the street, buying shares and making financial donations. It is this sort of backing that has made it possible for Green Left Weekly to reach new audiences well beyond the traditional circulation of the left press.
Of course, this is still only a beginning. Much remains to be done, especially in continuing to expand circulation and establishing the paper on a firm financial base.
But the experience of the first 20 issues is strong evidence that it can be done. The hundreds of you who have already pitched in have created a new and valuable addition to the alternative media. Your continued support will make your paper continue to improve and flourish.