Issue Four – 16th November 2011

After editorials focussing on the birth of the movement here in London, Cannon Fraser’s resignation, and the student march of last week, perhaps it is time for a little introspection. The Occupied Times is now a familiar sight around St Paul’s every Wednesday, despite a print run of only 2000 copies each week.

What started as an ambitious endeavour is starting to look like a legitimate newspaper, we hope, if a little more aesthetically radical. Like the movement itself, those of us producing the paper have had our ups and downs. We’ve had three changes of premises, two changes in format, and one arrest. Is it like this at the Guardian?

Four weeks in, we have time to sit back, look at the lessons learned, peek around the next corner and ask ourselves: What is the role for this newspaper? Even that question might be contested: Should we aspire to implement a long-term program within a movement that has preserved its fluidity and versatility? And from where do we derive the authority with which we now write editorials?

Indeed, we cannot give any conclusive answers to all these questions – but we can share our thoughts. We want this to be a good newspaper, with certain editorial standards and interesting articles. We want to be read not because of the paper’s name but because of our content. We are fully aware that a single paper cannot do justice to the variety of opinions within the camp, and we reject the idea that The Occupied Times in any way resembles an “official” publication. It is our intention to provide an alternative journalistic narrative and offer a platform for discussion. We hope that campers at St. Paul’s and Finsbury Square will learn as much from our articles as do visitors who stop to pick up a copy.

That means we have to straddle many borders. We must reconcile the need for open debate with the constraints of our weekly publication schedule. In relation to the many issues discussed – sometimes very passionately – in the camp, we want to avoid taking sides. Our shared questions and individual convictions outnumber the conclusive answers we can give. And in relation to the mainstream media, we want to preserve our independence as well. We welcome outside voices and attention, but we must not become part of someone else’s agenda.

Many campers have written for The Occupied Times or have helped with a myriad of other tasks, from setting up our newsroom tent to the folding and distribution of the printed papers. To all of you, we say a heartfelt thank you. Like most things at the camp, this paper would not exist without the initiative, personal commitment and helping hands of many. If anyone wants to become involved, we invite you to our weekly editorial meeting at 6pm every Thursday in our new tent at Finsbury Square. As long as the system remains intact and the tents remain on the street, we will be here as well. Writing, editing, publishing, and giving a platform to the many voices around this movement.