Co-operative Press, Co-operative Newspaper Society, Co-operative Printing Society, National Co-operative Publishing Society, Birmingham Printers, Traden Publications

The Co-operative Printing Society was formed in Manchester as the North of England Co-operative Printing Society in 1869 by a group of printers, some of whom had worked for the Manchester Guardian. £1 shares were made available to the public and when £1,000 had been raised, the business commenced operation as letterpress printers and stationers, also undertaking bookbinding, ruling, lithography and other printing work.

The Co-operative Newspaper Society was formed in 1871 and registered as a co- operative. Its members were co-operative societies in the UK. The Society was formed to publish the first national newspaper of the co-operative movement, called the Co operative News and published weekly from September 1871 becoming a bi-weekly newspaper in 2006. Earlier journals had been published by individuals and changed their subject coverage according to the changing interests of their publisher. This was the first time that co-operative societies had come together to produce their own newspaper, an independent periodical, not tied to any particular organisation or section of the co-operative sector. The Co-operative News has always been based in Manchester and was printed by the Co-operative Printing Society. Scotland had its own Newspaper Society and its own newspaper, the Scottish Co operator which was published from 1893 to 1974 when it merged with the Co-operative News.

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