Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists
Mandragola Editrice is an Italian journalists' cooperative founded in 1998 that delivers media literacy education to Italian high schools through student-produced print (Zai.net), radio (Radio 900), and e-learning programs, funded entirely by public-sector grants from Italian ministries, regional governments, and the EU.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersPiemonte, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists does
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists (legal name: Mandragola Editrice s.c.g.) is an Italian journalists' cooperative founded in 1998 and headquartered in Torino with additional offices in Roma and Rosignano Marittimo. The cooperative specializes in media literacy education for Italian secondary schools, operating a peer-to-peer educational model in which professional journalist-tutors coordinate students to produce journalistic content across multiple media formats. Its core product portfolio comprises Zai.net, a monthly student-written magazine distributed in print and multimedia versions (Zainet Medialab) to Italian high schools; Radio 900, an educational radio project on 900 kHz operated in partnership with Polo del 900 and M9 under EU NextGenerationEU funding; a participatory e-learning platform (educational.zai.net) offering courses in written journalism, radio journalism, and web writing; and Guida Scuole (guidascuole.it), a portal where Italian high schools present their educational offerings.
The cooperative claims reach into 1,700+ Italian high schools through its programs and onboarding platform schoolmedia.it. Revenue is generated exclusively through project-based public-sector grants — no commercial pricing model is publicly disclosed. Funding sources include the Italian Ministry of Public Education, Ministry of Culture (Direzione Generale Cinema e Audiovisivo), Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Department for Equal Opportunities, regional governments (notably Regione Lazio), and EU programs including CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) and NextGenerationEU. Recent project work spans the CIPS national cinema-and-schools plan, the Con i Bambini 'Sblocchiamo il futuro' adolescent well-being initiative, and transnational EU projects including Ways of Europe, Words of Europe, ABNE, and GEAR (a four-country gender-equity project for Roma youth).
The organization is led by President Lydia Gattini and operates as a cooperative ownership structure (società cooperativa di giornalisti) rather than a venture- or equity-backed entity. Its value proposition centers on content library accumulation, institutional partnerships, and community-led go-to-market through schools rather than on proprietary technology — no AI/ML capabilities are evidenced in the available data. The cooperative's strategic posture is one of sustained program diversification within its existing institutional grant ecosystem, with selective transnational expansion via EU-funded projects.
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists
- Legal name
- Mandragola Editrice s.c.g.
- Website
- https://mandragola.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Mandragola Editrice is an Italian journalists' cooperative founded in 1998 that delivers media literacy education to Italian high schools through student-produced print (Zai.net), radio (Radio 900), and e-learning programs, funded entirely by public-sector grants from Italian ministries, regional governments, and the EU.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Media Literacy Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM)
Keywords
Where Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Piemonte
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Educational Media Production: Mandragola Editrice creates media literacy educational programs in partnership with public institutions including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Italian regions, provinces, municipalities, and European Union funding programs. The cooperative receives funding through national and European educational initiatives and public contributions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mandragola Editrice is a cooperative of journalists that runs media literacy educational programs in Italian high schools, producing student-authored content across print (Zai.net monthly magazine), radio (Radio900 on 900 kHz, Radio Zai.net, Radio Jeans, Hotblockradio), podcast channels, multimedia digital editions (Zainet Medialab), and an e-learning platform (educational.zai.net). The cooperative provides journalist-tutor coordination, editorial oversight, and curriculum delivery for schools, funded primarily through partnerships with the Italian Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, regional governments, and European Union programs.
Product overview
Mandragola Editrice is a Cooperative of journalists specializing in Media Education (Media Literacy), offering a comprehensive portfolio of traditional and multimedia participatory media produced by young people. Since 1998, in partnership with local authorities, the cooperative has built a multimedia youth communication channel coordinated by professional journalist-tutors. The core offerings include Zai.net (a monthly magazine in print and multimedia versions), Zainet Medialab (multimedia enrichment of the magazine), Radio900 (educational radio with podcasts), and an e-learning platform for Media Literacy courses. The company also operates Guida Scuole, a portal for high school information. All products follow a peer-to-peer methodology where young people both learn and teach media literacy skills.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Zai.net: Monthly magazine written by high school students with the coordination of journalist-tutors, distributed in all Italian high schools. Available in both print and multimedia versions.
- Zainet Medialab
- Radio900
- Guida Scuole
Products and services
- Zai.net Monthly Student Magazine
Quantifiable outcome
- Media literacy education enables students to become more informed and engaged citizens (cittadini più consapevoli)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Con i Bambini (Fondo per il Contrasto alla Povertà Educativa)coreMandragola Editrice participates in projects funded by Con i Bambini within the Fondo per il Contrasto alla Povertà Educativa (Fund to Contrast Educational Poverty), including the 'Sblocchiamo il futuro' project focused on adolescent psychosocial well-being and the unification of services.
- Polo del 900 and M9coreMandragola Editrice collaborates with Polo del 900 and M9 (Museum of the 20th Century) on the 'Radio 900 - Museum in the Ether' educational radio project, funded by the European Union NextGenerationEU and managed by the Ministry of Culture.
- Ministero della Cultura - Direzione Generale Cinema e AudiovisivocoreMandragola Editrice contributes to CIPS - Piano Nazionale Cinema e Immagini per la Scuola (National Cinema and Images Plan for Schools) projects promoted by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Merit.
- Regione LaziocoreMandragola Editrice has received funding from Regione Lazio for projects including 'Leggere la società - Editoria e multimediale per i giovani' (Read society - Publishing and multimedia for youth).
- Schoolmedia.itcoreSchoolmedia.it is the platform through which schools can join Mandragola's media literacy programs and access educational resources.
- Arci SolidarietàminorSocial solidarity association partnering with Mandragola on cultural and social projects.
- Slow NewsminorSlow News organization partnering with Mandragola on media literacy and journalism initiatives.
- A mano disarmataminorWomen's rights association partnering with Mandragola on peer-to-peer education, information, and communication about violence against women (Artemisia project).
- Fondazione Media Literacy E.T.S.coreMedia Literacy Foundation (Ente del Terzo Settore) partnering with Mandragola to promote media literacy education in Italy.
- Radio Zai.net, Radio Jeans, and HotblockradiocoreMandragola collaborates with three radio stations - Radio Zai.net, Radio Jeans, and Hotblockradio - to form a true multimedia radio laboratory allowing students to learn radio production across languages, content, and technique.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Slow News: Italian journalism initiative promoting slow, verified news and media literacy among citizens. Directly comparable as an Italian civic-journalism and media-awareness organization, and listed as an active strategic partner of Mandragola on media literacy projects.
- Hotblockradio: Italian student-oriented web radio participating in Mandragola's radio laboratory alongside Radio Zai.net and Radio Jeans. Comparable as a peer educational radio platform serving Italian high schools and used by Mandragola for hands-on radio literacy instruction.
- Fondazione Media Literacy E.T.S. Italian third-sector foundation dedicated to media literacy education. Highly comparable mission and geography; listed as a core strategic partner of Mandragola to promote media literacy education in Italy.
- Radio Jeans: Italian educational web radio operated by and for high school students. Directly comparable as a participatory student radio platform, and listed as an active Mandragola partner forming its 'multimedia radio laboratory' with Radio Zai.net and Hotblockradio.
- News Literacy Project: U.S. non-profit focused on media literacy education, particularly for students and educators. Closely comparable mission and operating model to Mandragola's media literacy programs in Italian schools, including educator resources and student-facing curriculum.
Broad incumbents
- European Broadcasting Union (EBU): European alliance of public service broadcasters coordinating educational and cultural programming across member countries. Comparable as the umbrella body for the same public-service broadcasting mandate that funds and shapes Mandragola's Radio 900-style educational output.
- PBS Education: Educational programming arm of the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service, providing classroom-ready educational media including video, audio, and lesson plans. Comparable as a large public-media incumbent delivering educational content to schools, including radio/print and digital formats similar to Mandragola's portfolio.
- NPR: U.S. public radio network producing news, cultural, and educational audio programming, including NPR Education initiatives. Comparable as a public-interest broadcaster with educational audio products analogous to Mandragola's Radio 900 and podcast channels.
- Treccani: Italian encyclopedic and educational publishing institution producing reference and learning content for Italian schools. Comparable as a long-established Italian educational publisher serving the same scuole superiori market Mandragola addresses, though via reference content rather than participatory journalism.
- Rai Educational: Educational arm of Italy's national public broadcaster (RAI), producing instructional television, web, and multimedia content for schools. Comparable as a large incumbent producing educational media for Italian schools, though with broader portfolio and TV focus rather than participatory journalism.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists social profiles
Digital presenceMandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists
What does Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists do?
Mandragola Editrice is a cooperative of journalists that runs media literacy educational programs in Italian high schools, producing student-authored content across print (Zai.net monthly magazine), radio (Radio900 on 900 kHz, Radio Zai.net, Radio Jeans, Hotblockradio), podcast channels, multimedia digital editions (Zainet Medialab), and an e-learning platform (educational.zai.net). The cooperative provides journalist-tutor coordination, editorial oversight, and curriculum delivery for schools, funded primarily through partnerships with the Italian Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, regional governments, and European Union programs.
Is Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists a public or private company?
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists founded?
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists based?
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists is headquartered in Piemonte, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists make money?
One revenue line is on record: educational Media Production.
Who are Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Slow News, Hotblockradio, Fondazione Media Literacy E.T.S., Radio Jeans and News Literacy Project. Broad incumbents are European Broadcasting Union (EBU), PBS Education, NPR, Treccani and Rai Educational.
Does Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists.
What industry is Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists in?
Mandragola Publishing Cooperative of Journalists's product category is Media Literacy Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGALAM, Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 2721.