At the recent CWU Spring Seminar the issue of union friendly media coverage (or lack of it) was discussed.

As part of an effort to help our members discover other media sources which offer a different and more progressive view point the Union has put together a document which lists some interesting websites including the blog of Michael Taft who made a very interesting presentation at the Seminar.  Please see list of websites below.

 An Alternative View on the Economy, Politics, Society – the lot

As trade unionists we might wonder why it is that our views and concerns are not often reflected in the media.  We have become conditioned to accept the bad press that is regularly given to our movement.  All too often trade unionists are portrayed as trouble making, self serving, unrepresentative and out of touch with the demands of a modern economy. One could easily forget that trade unions represent 800,000 people on the island and that we are, in fact, part of the largest civic movement in society.

More to the point – there has been very little room for informed discussion and debate on a left leaning view of the economy or society.  We have heard the phrase ‘Boston or Berlin’ but judging by the mainstream media we consume, Boston is being portrayed as the only legitimate way to build our society and run our economy – despite the mess we are in.

If you want an alternative to the centre-right mainstream media that serves business interests more than it does the worker or if you simply think that we can do things better but haven’t seen or heard anything in the media that gives you reason to believe it is possible then the following media sources (Irish and international) offer a useful (not always left leaning) alternative:

Notes on the Front – economic analysis and commentary written in a very straight forward manner: 
http://www.notesonthefront.typepad.com/

Independent website that pools commentary and analysis of various progressive economists and others linked to TASC which is an Irish think tank for action on social change - http://www.progressive-economy.ie/

A political blog that provides, in its own words ‘a left wing of the world’: http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/

Blog by the Nobel prize winning and often quoted economist:
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/

Very popular discussion board that provides a platform for all political voices from every part of the spectrum:
http://www.politics.ie/

Irish Left Review – an online magazine that brings together various left leaning views:  www.irishleftreview.org

The Progressive Economics Forum – a Canadian blog but many relevant issues that we are facing: 
http://www.progressive-economics.ca/
 
Irish Economy:  mostly right wing but good place for facts/debate and they have made the running on bank nationalisation: 
www.irisheconomy.ie
 
Dublin Opinion:  political/cultural review but has good stuff, recently a response to Krugman's article on Ireland:  www.dublinopinion.com
 
Guardian's Comment is Free - in particularly, anything by Larry Elliot and Will Hutton:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree

The Village Magazine: a fresh perspective, good journalism.  Not available online but in good newsagents