DSA In The News: Convention Round-Up

August 11, 2017

By Tom Ladendorf

Last week’s annual convention in Chicago brought DSA’s name to the headlines in a number of publications. Many outlets, including Chicagoist, Salon, Slate, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, New Republic, and The Week ran general pieces on the convention. Even CNN was willing to admit that, with 25,000 members, a historic convention, and a growing list of elected officials, it might be time to start taking DSA seriously.

Topic-based coverage was wide-ranging, and included the following: 

  • Vox offered a point-by-point breakdown of what DSA’s all about for the uninitiated.

  • The Daily Beast and Mic both ran pieces highlighting DSA’s bottom-up structure and focus on local organizing.

  • AlterNet and Slate both interrogated the relationship between DSA and the Democratic Party.

  • John Nichols made the connection to US socialist history in The Nation, focusing particularly on the work of the Socialist Party in the earlier part of the century.

  • The Intercept and Electronic Intifada each ran pieces on DSA’s endorsement of BDS.

  • In These Times focused on how the demand for Medicare for All is shaping up to be a key priority in DSA’s work.

  • Bustle wondered what, exactly, is drawing so many millenials to DSA?

  • The Splinter ran a piece elevating the voices of people of color at convention, including newly-elected NPC members R.L. Stephens and Delé Balogun.

Tom Ladendorf is on the Democratic Left Blog editorial committee.

Individually signed posts do not necessarily reflect the views of DSA as an organization or its leadership. Democratic Left blog post submission guidelines can be found here.