Greenbelt Cooperator

The Greenbelt Cooperator was a weekly newspaper published in Greenbelt, Maryland from November 24, 1937 to September 16, 1954.[1] It was established by Louis Bessemer, who was the mayor of the newly-formed Greenbelt at the time.[2] The paper changed its name to Greenbelt News Review in 1954, and it continues publishing under this name to this day.[3]

Greenbelt Cooperator
Front page of the Greenbelt Cooperator on December 19, 1941
TypeWeekly newspaper
Founder(s)Louis Bessemer
PublisherGreenbelt Consumer Services, Inc.
EditorLouis Bessemer, William R. Poole
Founded24 November 1937
Ceased publication16 September 1954
HeadquartersGreenbelt, Maryland
ISSN2577-0071
OCLC number19952288

In the Cooperator's inaugural issue, Bessemer as editor outlined the paper's mission statement in a series of seven bullet points, which included policies such as "to remain non-partisan in politics," "to remain neutral in religious matters," "to print news accurately and regularly," "to make its pages an open forum for civic affairs," and above all else, "to create a 'Good Neighbor' spirit, promote friendship, advance the common good, and develop a 'Greenbelt philosophy' of life."[4] The Cooperator was always intended to be a publication by and for the people of Greenbelt; there were only nineteen original staff members, and the newspaper "actively recruited articles from the community at large."[5] The paper's history was tumultuous in its early years and "changed hands rapidly," exemplified by a staff member's observation that "more often than not, the morning sun shone on the faces of the amateur journalists as they trudged home from 'putting the paper to bed.'"[6]

In January 1938, the paper had completed its trial period and officially elected a new editor, William R. Poole, as well as a board of directors.[7]

Name change

The Cooperator changed its name in September 1954, with an explanation from editor Harry M. Zubkoff, who would eventually serve as editor four times throughout the 1950s and 1960s:[8] "There are a number of 'Cooperators' published throughout the country...and this has added an element of confusion. [...] While we are concerned with publishing news of local interest, we are also concerned with selling what we publish, and the feeling is inescapable that we have encountered some sales resistance in trying to sell the 'Cooperator.'"[9] However, it has been argued that the name change was part of an effort to distance the publication from communist ideals as a response to "changing beliefs in the nation as a whole."[8] Heather Elizabeth Peterson argues, "The newspaper, from the start, was a quiet propaganda tool for promoting cooperatives," and also that "Communism was an increasing threat, and the United States government had lost interest in cooperative experiments."[10]

gollark: Ew, special cases.
gollark: Would that not just be false advertising everywhere?
gollark: I see.
gollark: Or they don't allow you to be selective about what happens if you run out of bandwidth?
gollark: They don't allow any oversubscription?

References
  1. "About Greenbelt cooperator". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  2. Warner, George A. (1954). Greenbelt: The Cooperative Community: An Experience in Democratic Living. New York: Exposition Press. p. 66.
  3. "About Greenbelt news review". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  4. Bessemer, Louis (24 November 1937). "Greenbelt: We Make Our Bow". Greenbelt Cooperator. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  5. Peterson, Heather Elizabeth (1999). "The Cooperator: An Unofficial History of the Greenbelt News Review". Greenbelt. p. 4. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  6. 25th Anniversary: Greenbelt, 1937-1962. Silver Anniversary Committee. 1963. pp. 33, 36.
  7. "Our New Organization". Greenbelt Cooperator. 5 January 1938. p. 2. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  8. Peterson, Heather Elizabeth (1999). "The Cooperator: An Unofficial History of the Greenbelt News Review". Greenbelt. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  9. Zubkoff, Harry M. (29 July 1954). "On Changing Our Name" (PDF). Greenbelt. p. 1. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  10. Peterson, Heather Elizabeth (1999). "The Cooperator: An Unofficial History of the Greenbelt News Review". Greenbelt. p. 2. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
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