Journalists as community stewards: practices for trust, participation and sustainable engagement

Journalists are reclaiming community and boutique models of practice. Across newsletters, Discords, DIY platforms, and cozy web spaces, they are hosting publics, networks, and increasingly - stewarding communities. This shift brings new and often invisible labour. Journalists are now responsible for moderation, care, conflict, trust-building, and sustaining participation. While much of this work is intuitive, it is frequently unsupported and learned through trial and error.
This workshop addresses that gap by translating established online community management insights and best practices into immediately useful guidance for journalists of all kinds.
The workshop will introduce practical, field-tested approaches to:
> Setting healthy norms and participation boundaries
> Managing conflict without eroding trust or editorial authority
> Sustaining emotional and relational labour
> Identifying and measuring meaningful indicators of community health
> Applying AI and other technologies to support community building
We will draw on practical examples and diverse tactics, suited to small and mid-scale projects.
Why this matters now
Community journalism is growing amid an infodemic, platform instability, and social fragmentation. Audiences are seeking spaces that feel credible, relational, and accountable, while journalists face expanding expectations around participation and care. Without shared practices or institutional support, this work risks becoming unsustainable. Bringing established community management expertise into journalism strengthens the resilience, credibility, and public value of community-based media.
Participants will gain:
> Practical community management skills and frameworks
> New language and tools to legitimise relational and care-based labour
> Greater confidence navigating participation, conflict, and power in online community spaces
> A grounded understanding of sustainable community stewardship in digital spaces - and how it connects to journalistic labour