# Content Mission Statement

Agree on the audience, practical value, editorial contribution, desired outcome, and boundaries that should guide a team’s everyday content choices.

## Usage note

Use this worksheet to reach a concrete editorial commitment, not to invent a slogan. The final sentence should help a contributor decide whether a proposed piece belongs in the program. Base it on observed audience needs and capabilities the team can sustain, then retain the supporting notes beside the short statement.

## How to use this template

1. Gather direct evidence about the audience’s situation, questions, language, and desired progress.
2. List the useful contribution the team can provide consistently and distinguish it from promotional goals.
3. Draft several one-sentence missions using the audience, value, approach, outcome, and boundary fields.
4. Test each version against real published pieces and proposed topics, noting where it gives a clear yes or no.
5. Approve one statement, preserve the supporting decisions, and set a date to check whether practice still matches it.

## Blank template

### Mission evidence

- **Primary audience:** [Name a specific group]
- **Relevant situation:** [When and why do they seek this content?]
- **Questions or barriers:** [List observed needs, not assumptions]
- **Evidence used:** [Interviews, support themes, analytics, or other sources]
- **Team capability:** [What can the team reliably research or explain?]
- **Distinct contribution:** [What useful value can this program add?]

### Mission building blocks

- **We create:** [Content type or editorial contribution]
- **For:** [Audience in a recognizable situation]
- **So they can:** [Decision, understanding, or task supported]
- **By:** [Editorial approach, evidence, or point of view]
- **We will not:** [Important boundary]
- **Draft statement:** [Combine the elements in plain language]

### Reality test

- **Piece that clearly fits:** [Title and why]
- **Piece that should not fit:** [Title and why]
- **Borderline proposal:** [Topic and the decision the mission suggests]
- [ ] The audience can recognize themselves in the wording.
- [ ] The value is something editorial work can actually deliver.
- [ ] The statement distinguishes reader value from channel metrics.
- [ ] At least one plausible idea is excluded.
- [ ] Contributors can remember and explain the statement without a script.

### Adoption

- **Mission owner:** [Accountable role]
- **Approved by:** [Decision makers]
- **Where it appears:** [Brief, handbook, charter, or intake form]
- **Review date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
- **Evidence to revisit:** [Signals that could change the mission]