Original scientific paper
Factory Newspapers in Varaždin: The Phenomenon of Socialist Self-Management as an Ideological and Informational Tool (1945–1990)
Jelena Blaži
orcid.org/0000-0003-0453-4141
; University North, Koprivnica, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Factory newspapers in Varaždin during the socialist period (1945–1990) represented a key medium for informing, ideological education and cultural shaping of the working class. As part of the wider phenomenon of workers' journalism, they emerged in the specific political and economic context of Yugoslav socialism. Within the political and ideological framework, factory newspapers were a tool for shaping workers' consciousness in accordance with the principles of socialist self-management. They supported the policies of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, promoted worker participation and collectivism, and were subject to editorial control in order to remain aligned with the dominant ideological guidelines. The economic context enabled their financing through companies, especially in industries such as textile and metal, which had the resources to publish newspapers. Newspaper distribution was subsidized or free, and their purpose was to strengthen workers' identity and connection with the company. The information and communication function was manifested through reporting on production results, technological innovations and company successes, while cultural and educational aspects included the promotion of sports and cultural activities, professional development and humorous and literary columns. Workers actively participated in creating content, which strengthened the sense of belonging to the collective. Newspapers were a forum for expressing opinions, criticism and proposals for improving working conditions. Their role was multiple: informative, educational and ideological, which makes them important documents of industrial and workers' history of the socialist period. In this paper, we deal with the aforementioned phenomenon within Varaždin, and we discuss which factory newspapers were published in that period in that area, which people were the editors-in-chief, what the newspapers looked like, and which columns were characteristic and recognizable in individual newspapers.
Keywords
Varaždin; factory newspapers; journalism; history
Hrčak ID:
334427
URI
Publication date:
31.7.2025.
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