Rory's post about endless complaints from Progressives about the 'Shady Cal' brings up a point I haven't seen much: why the hell don't they just go start their own?

It's not that hard to start a newspaper, especially when you have four or five monthly publications devoted to your community already. Hardboiled and Co can deliver layout and business experience. Cal-SERVE's new weight in the Senate can produce seed money. Ad money is a bitch to find, but even BPR has gotten over the hump. There's probably people at Berkeley who'd love to fund a venture newspaper. Writers? Even the African-American community, with such slight representation on campus, has the staff to publish a monthly.

Certainly, the internal divisions in the Progressive community wouldn't make it an easy job. But think of it as a challenge: The Republicans expect a project like this to be caught up in endless wrangling over 'control' issues and demands over who gets precious space. Also to be split by the rift between hardcore SJP types and the more Moderates. So Progressives: prove the Patriot wrong, eh?

Or why not even start an online version? I remember Chuck McNally talking about starting an Indymedia-esque site devoted to Berkeley. Capital idea. Spend an hour setting up the established Indymedia technology and recruit some writers.

I could be sarcastic and say 'But Oh, Progressives will never do that because they just love to bitch and moan, not do anything positive.' But that isn't productive. Progressive community, you should do this. You already made X. This is the obvious next step.Email This Post!