The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-12
80 Million Readers
For 10000 Papers in
80 Languages in USSR


TEN THOUSAND newspapers in 30
l different languages, with q total
circulation OF So miliOn-such Is the
Soviet press today. It is far cry.
indeed, from tsarist Russia Of 1914
with its total Of $50 newspapers and
their 81 million readers.
But the rapid growth Of Soviet
newspapers, striking though it is, is
far from being their most unique
feature. Lenin long ago pointed out
that the press should be not only
the collective propaganda and agi-
tator of the masses, but the colleC-
tive organizer"
In carrying out this organizing
function, in modifying the toilers
Of the Soviet Union for the building
Of Socialism, the Sovet press has
struck out on new lines. A glance at
the central newspapers, like PRAY
da" and "Izvestia," is enough to
show what a unique sort Of press is
being built up in the US.S.R. These
papers are calls to action. They state
concrete tasks and point the way 10
fulfllment. They frankly and
scsthingly criticize defects. They
speak directly to the workers, tho
collective farmers, the whole toiling
population of the Soviet Union
Through vast army Of worker and
peasant correspondents. they main
tain living contact with the prob
lens and successes Of the masses.
Thousands Of Newspa pafs
DUT "Pravda" and "Izvestis" are
ID papers for the whole Of the So
Wet Union. The problems they at
tack are national in scope. 1t is
physically impossible for them to
deal with every factory shop, with
every field brigade on the collective
farms. Thus, to provide a tribune
for the masses, to carry on the work
Of collective organization in every
corner Of the land, the Soviet Union
has developed thousands Of news
papers of new sort--the local, fac
tory and collective farm press.
National republics and minority
language groups have newspapers in
their own tongue. Hundreds of prov
inces and districts publish their own
local organs. In the factories. in the
political sections Of state farms and
Instrumentation stations serving
collective farms. In the railway po-
litical sections, printed newspapers
Of several hundred to many thou
sand circulation deal with the day
to-day problems Of their readers.
The figures are impressive. At
present, exclusive of the central
newspapers, 1926 districts publish
their own papers. over $500 are
published by factories and other en-
terpriSeS. The newspapers Of the
political sections, a comparatively
new feature, have spread rapidly.
From the first Is papers Of this kind
I which appeared in January, 1893,
the political section press has grown
until there are now 2.505 papers in
| the tractor stations. 1913 on
the state fstms Of the Commissariat
Of State Farms, 1870 on the state
farms Of the Conmissar Of Supplies
and 500 on the railroads.
An Army Of Correspondents
TO SUPPLY these papers with
news, an army Of worker and
peasant correspondents numbered in
millions has grown UP. The local
press, like the enterprises it serves.
has its shock workers, men and
women from the factory bench and
the field brigade, they write with in
innate understanding. They are true
organizers, people with initiative
and faith in the cause of the work
ing class. With their assistance the
local press carries on an unceasing
drive for concrete Improvements, for
definite steps in Overcoming the
survivals Of capitalism in economic
life and in the minds Of men" for
building up a Communist attitude
toward labor as a matter of honor
and valor.
What are the specific tasks and
functions OF this local, factory and
farm press?
The strength Of such papers OBJ
viously consists in their close con-
nection with their readers. The fac