Manchester MULE

MULE is a Manchester based non-profit independent media project, looking to promote social justice by getting out the news and views you won’t find elsewhere, from the rainy city and beyond!

To this end, we produce a quarterly newspaper with a print run of 10,000 copies, distributed free around Manchester. Our website is updated regularly with news, culture, opinion and features on events in the Greater Manchester region.

The Thinking behind MULE

Three core principles underlie our work:

1) Providing an alternative has never been more important. Traditional local media is facing hard times. Budget cuts and the turn away from serious reporting means there’s an information vacuum waiting to be filled in our communities. On a wider level, the commercial media system is dominated by a small number of huge corporations and wealthy individuals. This system promotes commercial values, and filters out information not conducive to the immediate bottom line or long-run corporate interests. MULE aims to cover the burning issues that the mainstream media neglect, without screaming down peoples necks, being boring or preachy, or speaking to a select, in-the-know audience.

2) Media as a tool for social change. At its best independent media supports progressive social movements by raising public awareness and providing information that is a tool in the hands of campaigners. This starts at home. The place we can be most effective is in our backyard, holding power to account in Manchester.

3) Openness and inclusivity. From the start, MULE has been an organisation run primarily by volunteers. We want to provide an opportunity for writers, designers, web geeks and volunteers of all varieties, to get involved and share or improve their skills.