Page "Underground press" Paragraph 13

Apart from publications such as IT and Oz, both of which had a national circulation, the 1960s and ‘ 70s saw the emergence of a whole range of local alternative newspapers, which were usually published monthly.

These were largely made possible by the introduction in the 1950s of offset litho printing, which was much cheaper than traditional typesetting and use of the rotary letterpress.

Such local papers included Aberdeen Peoples Press, Alarm ( Swansea ), Andersonstown News ( Belfast ), Brighton Voice, Bristol Voice, Feedback ( Norwich ), Hackney People ’ s Press, Islington Gutter Press, Leeds Other Paper, Response ( Earl ’ s Court, London ), Sheffield Free Press, and the West Highland Free Press.

A 1980 review identified some 70 such publications around the United Kingdom but estimated that the true number could well have run into hundreds.

Such papers were usually published anonymously, for fear of the UK's draconian libel laws.

They followed a broad anarchist, libertarian, left-wing of the Labour Party, socialist approach but the philosophy of a paper was usually flexible as those responsible for its production came and went.

Most papers were run on collective principles.