Brighton Voice
Encyclopedia
Brighton Voice was an alternative
or underground
newspaper published in Brighton
, England in the 1970s and 1980s.
and Benn's Media Directory. Its operation was made possible by the arrival of inexpensive photolithography
that permitted printing without typesetting
. The first 66 issues were in A4, but from issue 67 the Voice changed to A3 newsprint
.
The Voice ceased publication with issue No 132 in July 1989, making it one of the longest-running alternative papers in the United Kingdom. By the late 1980s it was facing competition from the growth of commercial listings magazines in Brighton such as The Punter, and the emergence of more extreme anarchist papers such as Brighton Bomber.
Brighton Voice was intended to be issued monthly but usually managed about nine issues a year. The collective
approach, which allowed anyone who wanted to turn up at monthly editorial meetings and to participate in production led to slow decision making and lengthy editorial meetings. These were initially held in people's homes and then at the “Open Café”, an anarchist, whole-foods restaurant on Victoria Road in Brighton. The Voice was typed and laid out in the basement of the café. Subsequently, it moved to several other locations in Brighton and Hove.
Distribution of the magazine caused problems. Most newsagents were reluctant to stock it, either because of disagreement with the contents or fear of legal action. In 1976 the local Conservative
Member of Parliament, Andrew Bowden
, wrote to all the newsagents in his constituency advising them not to sell the Voice because the collective included “a number of left-wing extremists” responsible for “churning out deliberate lies and political filth”. Two years later, local fascists responded to the Voices campaign against the National Front by smashing windows of some newsagents.
Sales were highest on the University of Sussex
campus and at Infinity Foods, a whole foods shop that continues to this day, but circulation amongst the ordinary citizens of Brighton and Hove was poor, despite street sales by members of the collective. Circulation of the Voice never reached 2000, and sales over its lifetime averaged around 1000. The first issue was sold for 4 New Pence in 1973 (it was launched soon after decimalisation
), rising, in two decades of high inflation
, to 30 pence by the time of the final issue.
Unlike some other alternative newspapers in the UK the Voice received only a negligible proportion of its income from paid advertising. Also unlike some similar newspapers it received no outside support. While other papers received small subsidies from their local councils it would, as Aubrey et al point out, have been inconceivable for the Voice to be subsidised by the then Conservative-controlled Brighton Council, which it regularly attacked. Revenue was primarily generated from sales and the more affluent members of the collective inevitably provided some support.
and dismissive of political parties and mainly aimed to expose what it saw as the self-interested and incompetent management of the then separate councils of Brighton and neighbouring Hove
, now merged into the one authority of Brighton and Hove. Campaigns conducted included one against the construction of the Brighton Marina
, and the Voice also made submissions to the Planning Enquiry for the marina. With others it also campaigned successfully against proposals to demolish Brighton railway station
.
The Voices major impact was probably in the area of housing. For several years it was the voice of the local Squatters Union.
It concentrated on the scandalous housing situation in the town and was one of the first to highlight the practices of some Brighton landlords, most notably Nicholas Hoogstraten
who subsequently spent time in gaol. The newspaper took part in many demonstrations in Brighton and Hove, always using an all-purpose banner with the words "Brighton Voice says No".
. The collective saw that the greatest impact could be achieved by responding to particular events rather than by following a particular dogma.
Despite being open to all, the Voice rarely had more than eight active participants at any time. As Cottle points out, the fact that the collective had relatively few members may have contributed to its longevity. Other similar papers with larger collectives tended to cease publication after a relatively short time. Members of the collective at one time or another included Steve Bassam, who was Government Chief Whip
in the House of Lords in 2008-09; Rod Kedward, a noted history professor at the University of Sussex; the investigative journalist Duncan Campbell
, and the journalist Val Hennessy. Others went on to work for the BBC
and the United Nations. Exposure by the Voice of misdoings in Brighton and Hove greatly benefited from insider tips provided by Adam Trimingham of the Brighton Evening Argus
and other local journalists including Roy Greenslade
, who subsequently became editor of the Daily Mirror.
Alternative media
Alternative media are media which provide alternative information to the mainstream media in a given context, whether the mainstream media are commercial, publicly supported, or government-owned...
or underground
Underground press
The underground press were the independently published and distributed underground papers associated with the counterculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and other western nations....
newspaper published in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England in the 1970s and 1980s.
History
Brighton Voice was one of the many alternative local newspapers that sprung up in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and 1970s. With a launching statement describing its aim as "giving a voice to ordinary people" the first issue was published in March 1973. It was listed in Ulrich's Periodicals DirectoryUlrich's Periodicals Directory
Ulrich's Periodicals Directory is the standard library directory and database providing information about popular and academic magazines, scientific journals, newspapers and other serial publications....
and Benn's Media Directory. Its operation was made possible by the arrival of inexpensive photolithography
Photolithography
Photolithography is a process used in microfabrication to selectively remove parts of a thin film or the bulk of a substrate. It uses light to transfer a geometric pattern from a photomask to a light-sensitive chemical "photoresist", or simply "resist," on the substrate...
that permitted printing without typesetting
Typesetting
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of types.Typesetting requires the prior process of designing a font and storing it in some manner...
. The first 66 issues were in A4, but from issue 67 the Voice changed to A3 newsprint
Newsprint
Newsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...
.
The Voice ceased publication with issue No 132 in July 1989, making it one of the longest-running alternative papers in the United Kingdom. By the late 1980s it was facing competition from the growth of commercial listings magazines in Brighton such as The Punter, and the emergence of more extreme anarchist papers such as Brighton Bomber.
Brighton Voice was intended to be issued monthly but usually managed about nine issues a year. The collective
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
approach, which allowed anyone who wanted to turn up at monthly editorial meetings and to participate in production led to slow decision making and lengthy editorial meetings. These were initially held in people's homes and then at the “Open Café”, an anarchist, whole-foods restaurant on Victoria Road in Brighton. The Voice was typed and laid out in the basement of the café. Subsequently, it moved to several other locations in Brighton and Hove.
Distribution of the magazine caused problems. Most newsagents were reluctant to stock it, either because of disagreement with the contents or fear of legal action. In 1976 the local Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament, Andrew Bowden
Andrew Bowden
Sir Andrew Bowden , is a British Conservative Party politician.Bowden was educated at Ardingly College and subsequently became a sales executive. He served as a councillor on Wandsworth Borough Council 1956-61 and national chairman of Young Conservatives 1960-61...
, wrote to all the newsagents in his constituency advising them not to sell the Voice because the collective included “a number of left-wing extremists” responsible for “churning out deliberate lies and political filth”. Two years later, local fascists responded to the Voices campaign against the National Front by smashing windows of some newsagents.
Sales were highest on the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
campus and at Infinity Foods, a whole foods shop that continues to this day, but circulation amongst the ordinary citizens of Brighton and Hove was poor, despite street sales by members of the collective. Circulation of the Voice never reached 2000, and sales over its lifetime averaged around 1000. The first issue was sold for 4 New Pence in 1973 (it was launched soon after decimalisation
Decimalisation
Decimal currency is the term used to describe any currency that is based on one basic unit of currency and a sub-unit which is a power of 10, most commonly 100....
), rising, in two decades of high inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
, to 30 pence by the time of the final issue.
Unlike some other alternative newspapers in the UK the Voice received only a negligible proportion of its income from paid advertising. Also unlike some similar newspapers it received no outside support. While other papers received small subsidies from their local councils it would, as Aubrey et al point out, have been inconceivable for the Voice to be subsidised by the then Conservative-controlled Brighton Council, which it regularly attacked. Revenue was primarily generated from sales and the more affluent members of the collective inevitably provided some support.
Campaigns
The Voice followed broadly anarchist principles and functioned as a collective. It was essentially libertarianLibertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
and dismissive of political parties and mainly aimed to expose what it saw as the self-interested and incompetent management of the then separate councils of Brighton and neighbouring Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, now merged into the one authority of Brighton and Hove. Campaigns conducted included one against the construction of the Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina
Brighton Marina is an artificial marina situated in Brighton, England. The construction of the marina itself took place between 1971 and 1979, although developments within it have continued ever since. The marina covers an area of approximately...
, and the Voice also made submissions to the Planning Enquiry for the marina. With others it also campaigned successfully against proposals to demolish Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
.
The Voices major impact was probably in the area of housing. For several years it was the voice of the local Squatters Union.
It concentrated on the scandalous housing situation in the town and was one of the first to highlight the practices of some Brighton landlords, most notably Nicholas Hoogstraten
Nicholas van Hoogstraten
Nicholas van Hoogstraten is a British businessman and real estate magnate. van Hoogstraten is known for his business empire as well as his controversial life story: In 1968, he was convicted, and sent to prison, for paying a gang to attack a business associate...
who subsequently spent time in gaol. The newspaper took part in many demonstrations in Brighton and Hove, always using an all-purpose banner with the words "Brighton Voice says No".
Membership
Membership of the collective was open to all and rotated considerably. However, it was predominantly white, middle class and male. Anyone could participate and write a piece, as long as it was critical of the status quo. Initially it was considered inappropriate to edit contributions, but it was quickly realised that such an approach would lead to an unsaleable paper. Its first members included anarchists, Marxists and left-wing members of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. The collective saw that the greatest impact could be achieved by responding to particular events rather than by following a particular dogma.
Despite being open to all, the Voice rarely had more than eight active participants at any time. As Cottle points out, the fact that the collective had relatively few members may have contributed to its longevity. Other similar papers with larger collectives tended to cease publication after a relatively short time. Members of the collective at one time or another included Steve Bassam, who was Government Chief Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in the House of Lords in 2008-09; Rod Kedward, a noted history professor at the University of Sussex; the investigative journalist Duncan Campbell
Duncan Campbell (investigative journalist)
Duncan Campbell is a British freelance investigative journalist, author and television producer who, since 1975, has specialised in the subjects of intelligence and security services, defence, policing, civil liberties and, latterly, computer forensics. He was a staff writer at the New Statesman...
, and the journalist Val Hennessy. Others went on to work for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the United Nations. Exposure by the Voice of misdoings in Brighton and Hove greatly benefited from insider tips provided by Adam Trimingham of the Brighton Evening Argus
The Argus (Brighton)
The Argus is a local newspaper based in Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, with editions serving the city of Brighton and Hove and the other parts of both East and West Sussex.-History:...
and other local journalists including Roy Greenslade
Roy Greenslade
Roy Greenslade is Professor of Journalism at City University London and has been a media commentator since 1992, most notably for The Guardian....
, who subsequently became editor of the Daily Mirror.