In a local branch meeting I attended last month, a young Socialist Party member suggested that we use alternative media instead of traditional books. They argued that newer, younger members may struggle to grasp or have the patience to read Marx, Engels, or even Lenin. The member suggested that we ‘get with the times’ and introduce new forms of media like audiobooks, films, and podcasts.
Personally, I was recommended State and Revolution as an introduction to socialism, but I am middle-aged and haven’t had my brain zapped by TikTok and YouTube shorts. So, I ask for advice here: should we offer easier-to-digest media?
This sounds a little like the questioning churches do “how do we get young people in? Does the bible need simplifying/transmogrifying to attract a younger audience?”
And the general consensus (among the sensible sects) is that it’s good to do outreach by these means, but that generally people will consume further media when they’re ready.
Putting things in an audiobook might help accessibility, but other methods, unless done very well, have a chance of falling in an awkward valley (imagine an old testament comic book, for example).