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The Ark Manifesto
The Ark Magazine is a project being started up under the banner of a simplepremise: equality. We want to provide an equality of representation to artistsand indeed entire genres that have been sidelined by the corporate media forreasons that have nothing to do with music and everything to do with revenue.We want to give artists for whom the popular press has no time their right topublicity, regardless of the kind of work they’re doing. And we want to framethose that have enjoyed disproportionate amounts of success due to their (eitherprovidential or purposefully manufactured) commercial marketability in a properperspective. In short, we want to create a magazine that does what music journalism should, in theory, do.Here’s how it will work.Every issue of the Ark will feature a number of respected figures writing theirown columns on the things, usually within new music (although politics, comedyand film will feature too), that they think deserve recognition. These are peoplewho know what they’re talking about, have authority and experience in theirfields, and who, through their notoriety, will turn some heads. Beyond this, therest of the magazine (including the cover) will change from region to region. Theemphasis is on local knowledge – we have no intention of pretending that ageneral editor in London can authoritatively provide a representation of what’sgoing on in the music scene of Oxford, or Glasgow, or Swansea. Regional editorswill use their local knowledge to decide what gig reviews, album reviews,interviews and features will be included in the rest of the mag, and so will beable to cast light on artists and movements that otherwise wouldn’t even featureon a remotely edited magazine’s radar. There will be no bowing to corporate-minded conceptions of ‘what readers what’ or cynical overemphasis of bigbands. This will be objective journalism, pure and simple; reporting on the local,the interesting, and the new – all without even acknowledging, let aloneconforming to, the status quo.In terms of writers, anyone can get involved. As long as they have a passion formusic and culture, and a desire to promote it regardless of its commercialpalatability, they’re in. Of course there will be a few rules. These have nothing todo with mediating the opinions expressed in the magazine, but are designed toensure these opinions are expressed in a responsible and constructive way. All of our writers are entitled to take a dislike to a band or artist, but this needs to beexpressed exclusively on the basis of their music. We’re trying to move awayfrom the Heat magazine style of music journalism that places emphasis onappearance and celebrity, and phrases criticisms in the form of personal attacks.Our focus must never fall on the trivial or facile, but remain on the conceptaround which music journalism is centred: the music itself. Otherwise, ourwriter’s opinions are their own, and they are free to express them in the spirit of uninhibited discussion.We believe that this project has a very real and very exciting capacity forgenuine change. The magazine will be able to galvanise and encourage local
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