Historical Italian communist newspaper 'Il Manifesto' goes bankrupt

From Struggles in Italy:

Goodbye, il Manifesto

Posted on 2012/12/22 by Struggles in Italy

After four decades, the Communist newspaper Il Manifesto is closing. The news was rumored in February and confirmed in May; a final announcement was made on December 17, on the homepage of the newspaper.

Founded in 1969 as a dissident branch of the Italian Communist Party (PCI), Il Manifesto became a symbol of the possible dialogue between the unorthodox side of Italian communism and the radical Marxist movements, in a period marked by student and worker protests and by the experience of left-wing extra-parliamentarism. After being expelled from the PCI for their unorthodox views on the Eastern Bloc and the students’ movement, the founders of Il Manifesto maintained their independence from the party, soon becoming an influential voice inside the Italian left. Initially created as a periodical reflecting the political views of the group, Il Manifesto later became a newspaper. In 1974 the Il Manifesto group joined the short-lived PdUP party (Proletarian Unity Party), an experience marked by frequent fractures and divisions.

Its sharp and witty headlines, its rejection of all compromise with capitalism and neoliberalism and its attention to the global economy made Il Manifesto a rare exception in the bleak landscape of the Italian media.

... continue reading at Struggles in Italy.


Update (Jan 21 2013): Il Manifesto survived somehow and is still alive.