From Claudia Jones to Hossam El-Hamalawy: What is revolutionary journalism? (RED OCTOBER 2025)

This month's episode was recorded at Spring's annual Red October. The session took place on October 25, 2025 as part of the course “What is Revolutionary Socialism?” and features Spring Members Ayan Tani, Sarah Shahid and Emma Paling. 

“As revolutionaries, we must engage in battles not just on the ground and picket lines, but also in the realm of ideas," Egyptian journalist and revolutionary Hossam El-Hamalawy has said. 

Journalism is a vital tool for socialists to use in this battle of ideas. But the revolutionary newspapers of Lenin and Claudia Jones are not the only publishing format available to socialists anymore. The internet, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and podcasting offer new opportunities — and new challenges — for socialists to organize and disseminate their messages to the working class.

Red October is an annual conference organized by Spring Magazine to discuss socialist ideas and put them in action. To learn more and to listen to other sessions from Red October please visit redoctober.ca.

To read and listen to more from Spring Magazine, you can go to SpringMag.ca or check out Spring Radio wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode was produced in Tkaronto on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

It was produced by Sarah Shahid, Ayan Tani, Emma Paling, Rajean Hoilett, and Josh Frame. With original music by Benjamin Bilgen.

To read and listen to more from Spring, and to find out how to join the Spring Socialist Network, please go to SpringMag.ca.