Write your manifesto

A practical guide to writing your manifesto, the text that defines your media's identity.

1. The Manifesto: What Is It About?

Your media outlet's manifesto is a text that tells your story. It's a statement of what your media is: by reading it, one should understand why your project exists, who it's for, and what form it takes.

To write your manifesto, you will be asked to answer the following questions:

• What vision do I want to convey with my media?
• What is my editorial line?
• Which community do I want to reach?

2. Why write a manifesto?

The manifesto revisits the media's origins and vision. By setting out its values in writing, the media also defines its audiences. Through the manifesto, audiences benefit from arguments that encourage them to follow the media's activities, embrace the values it upholds, and potentially make a financial contribution. It also serves as a guide for audiences and a reference tool for anyone new to the project.

Keep in mind that your manifesto should be around 1,500 characters long. It can appear on your website's landing page and in your

3. Create Your Manifesto

Write your manifesto in three steps:

Step 1 — Refine Your Editorial Proposal

To refine your editorial approach, identify the values and interests that drive your project. Explain what sets your media apart and what causes or topics you care about.

Step 2 — Summarize Your Editorial Line

Summarize your editorial line in a single sentence, choosing each word carefully. You must be able to explain the meaning of each term used.

A few questions might help:

• What problem(s) do you want to address?
• What are your values and interests?
• Who would you like to speak with?

Step 3 — Organize Your Text

Write a structured text around these key elements:

1. Refine your editorial proposal

To refine your editorial approach, identify the values and interests that drive your project. Explain what sets your media apart and what causes or topics you care about.

2. Summarize your editorial line

Summarize your editorial line in a single sentence, choosing each word carefully. You must be able to explain the meaning of each term used.

A few questions might help:

• What problem(s) do you want to address?
• What are your values and interests?
• Who would you like to speak with?

3. Organize Your Text

Write a structured text around these key elements:

• The Issue: Describe the issue your media outlet wants to address. It could be a statistic or an anecdote that grabs people’s attention;
• Your vision: Explain why your project is unique and essential, and what you hope to achieve;
• Your values: Highlight the principles that your media outlet upholds and embodies;
• Your editorial approach: Summarize your project in one concise sentence;
• Your areas of interest: List the topics and themes your media outlet covers;
• Specific examples: Give examples of the types of content or topics your media outlet covers;
• Your Target Audience: Specify the community you're addressing;
• Call to action: Invite your readers to take action (sign up for a newsletter, share your manifesto, etc.).

4. Inspirations

We've compiled a few examples of manifestos so you can envision what's possible! Whether in the media we've been able to support through Médianes, the studio, or elsewhere.

• Médianes, of course. We are a studio and media outlet dedicated to socially conscious media.
• Countries, one magazine, one region at a time.
• StreetPress, an online media outlet focused on investigative journalism and urban culture.
• The Narwhal, a Canadian news outlet that covers environmental news.
• Médor, a Belgian magazine featuring investigative reports and stories.
• The European Correspondent, an online news outlet covering European news through local correspondents based across the continent.

5. Our Educational Resource

The Médianes team has prepared a handy document to help you apply the lessons from this fact sheet to your own project.

6. Further Reading

• On the art of presenting your project: Check out our practical guide to help you craft your pitch.
• Splice, the Asian equivalent of Médianes, summarized in an article the key points that should appear on your “About” page.