We interviewed the executive editor of Co-op News, Rebecca Harvey, to find out more about the cooperative behind the monthly magazine and its plans for the future.
How was Co-op News set up?
Rebecca Harvey: Co-op News was preceded by other journals in England, such as The Co-operator, but through the 1860s there were calls for the cooperative movement to produce its own weekly newspaper. In June 1871, a meeting of society representatives and individual cooperators resolved that a Co-operative Newspaper Society be set up - and the first edition of The Co-operative News was published on 2 September 1871, 150 years ago.
How has the magazine evolved since its creation 150 years ago?
Rebecca Harvey: The last 150 years have witnessed huge changes in the cooperative movement, as well as wider changes in technology, communication and the media. Co-op News has not been immune to that. As society and cooperatives have evolved, so too has Co-op News, in scale, scope and in its fundamental role of connecting cooperatives, championing their successes and challenging their misdemeanours.
At one time, Co-op News was a weekly broadsheet that published fiction stories, medical advice and womens’ pages, as well as reporting on cooperatives. We have always covered global events, but today we are more international in scope, reporting on all cooperatives around the world, and hearing from cooperative voices in as many sectors and countries as possible. Currently, there is a monthly print edition (also available as a digital edition), which is distributed to members through their subscription. Content is also published online, at www.thenews.coop.
Our membership has also evolved; at the beginning, our members were the retail societies that set up the original Co-operative Newspaper Society; today we have in our membership different organisations and individual readers around the world.
Who are your members, and how are they involved in the magazine?
Rebecca Harvey: Our members are a combination of organisations and individuals who subscribe to us, which supports our independent journalism. Members also receive the print or digital edition of Co-op News. They can stand for our board and vote in elections, take part in a lively annual meeting, submit article ideas and letters and take part in focus groups to help us steer our strategy and direction.
Do you provide any other services?
Rebecca Harvey: We use our team’s editorial, design and communication skills to provide services to other cooperatives and associated organisations. For example, we design adverts and logos, can research, write, proofread and typeset reports, and can provide expert comment and advice for other organisations. Cooperation among cooperatives is very important to us. We are also leading a communications consortium that is supporting the ICA in its preparations for the 33rd World Cooperative Congress.
How did you celebrate your 150th anniversary?
Rebecca Harvey: We began planning our anniversary celebrations at the start of 2020 - but then of course COVID-19 hit. Instead, we have undertaken many small celebrations by getting involved in different initiatives, including the Birmingham Film Cooperative’s Just Film festival during the UK’s Cooperative Fortnight and working with the UKSCS to produce a special edition of the UKSCS Journal (out soon). As part of the 2021 celebrations, I have also been working with the Co-operative College’s Dr Sarah Alldred to run a series of online conversations called Cooperative Women’s Voices, which has been wonderful, and which will most likely continue beyond the end of the year. Upcoming guests include Mirai Chatterjee (Sewa), Melina Morrison (BCCM) and Susanne Westhausen (Kooperationen and newly elected Coops Europe president). We were also thrilled to be voted Small Multi-stakeholder Co-op of the Year in the 2021 Co-op of the Year Awards run by Co-operatives UK.
You are the second woman Editor at Co-op News: tell us more. When did you join Co-op News?
Rebecca Harvey: I joined in 2013 after a varied career covering education, communication and publishing. I was looking for a role combining my love of writing and desire to work for an organisation with values and ethics I could identify with. Discovering Co-op News - and by extension, the wider cooperative movement - was a revelation, as it wasn’t something I had come across before, outside of the UK’s ‘Co-op’ branded supermarkets. One of my aims is to make our stories about cooperatives accessible to people who may not know about the model - and placing them where they will be found - while providing relevant, interesting and informative content for those already familiar with the movement.
What topics do you cover?
Rebecca Harvey: Because cooperatives work in most sectors, our scope is very wide! Our content ranges from shorter news stories and event summaries to longer features and interviews. We also publish reviews, obituaries, op-eds and event listings. We carry news on cooperatives around the world, and explore themes relevant to them, such as sustainability, governance, education and cooperative values and principles. We also take into account what is happening in the world – for example, we ran a special issue on renewable energy ahead of COP26.
What are your plans for the future?
Rebecca Harvey: To continue to inform and educate about cooperatives to our members, wider readers and the general public. The cooperative business model is a wonderful tool for justice and equality, but there are still misconceptions that need to be addressed; Co-op News aims to do this through fair and objective journalism. Our future involves a robust digital strategy, and an exciting membership drive to begin in the new year; in my view, members are one of the most important parts of any cooperative. We are proud to count as members a growing number of individuals and businesses from over 20 different countries, and we are excited to see that number continue to grow.
If you would like to join Co-op News as an individual member, visit thenews.coop/join. If you are interested in finding out more about organisational membership, please email rebecca@thenews.coop.
