I started reading the World Socialist Web Site Web Site in 2009. I had just become a teacher training student, following redundancy and was starting to ask questions about the implications of the development of the financial crisis. I found the WSWS produced unrivalled coverage of all the major national and international events. It was, and remains, the only news website to produce a comprehensive, Marxist commentary of major political events, arts coverage and workers’ struggles.

I am interested in independent film and particularly enjoy reading the insightful reviews by David Walsh. I have used many of the reviews when teaching to give an example of how political ideology manifests itself through the arts and media. I find the film reviews enlightening, illuminating and entertaining. I think they are a crucial element of the WSWS coverage, helping political discussion to be accessible. They have allowed me the opportunity to introduce students, friends and colleagues to the website.

One of the articles to have the biggest impact was the coverage of the release of the “Collateral Damage” video footage by WikiLeaks and the subsequent vilification of WikiLeaks for releasing information relating to the imperialist wars. The video demonstrated the criminal acts committed during imperialist wars. But also, the reaction to the release by most of the mass media outlets as well as the pseudo left spoke volumes about their corrupt and selfish intensions. Reading the coverage on the WSWS helped to define its position as the only voice of the working class. …

The website and its coverage served as an antidote to the neo-fascist, conservative and reactionary mass media coverage of the youth revolts of 2011 in the UK. There was an almost universal condemnation of the actions of the working class youth involved and a disgusting justification of the decisions handed out by the kangaroo courts by the mass media. At this point the WSWS stood alone in provoking discussion around the causes of the discontent voiced through the actions of Britain’s youth.

Each and every article over the past four years has helped to cement my understanding of the actions of the ruling elite and the implications those actions have on the international working class. The website has been an integral part of reigniting my political awareness. It has helped to concretise and objectify an understanding of my own position in society and guide my understanding of important events.