Decentered Media is launching a new online discussion space for people who are actively involved in community, civic and independent media.
The Community Media Exchange will begin at 4.00pm BST on Wednesday 17th June 2026, and will then take place every two weeks on Zoom. The sessions are intended to complement the weekly in-person Community Media Cafés in Leicester, while opening the conversation to people who are working, thinking and organising in other places.
Subscription and participation will be managed through the Decentered Media Forum. To join the forum and receive updates about the Zoom sessions, visit https://forum.decentered.co.uk.
The aim is simple. We want to create a regular, practical and pragmatic space where community media practitioners, advocates and developers can share experience, ask questions, test ideas and learn from one another.
Community media is often strongest when it grows through conversation. People meet, compare problems, suggest tools, share contacts, explain what has worked, and identify what still needs to be improved. The online sessions will build on this spirit by offering a regular meeting point for those who are trying to develop media that is rooted in participation, trust, storytelling and civic purpose.
The sessions will be open to people working across radio, podcasting, local publishing, community reporting, social communication, digital platforms, civic storytelling, research, training, advocacy and related fields. They will not be limited to Leicester. International contributions are welcome, especially from people who are developing community media in different policy, cultural and technological contexts.
The discussion topics will be shaped by the people who take part, but likely themes will include the use of AI in community media, access to digital platforms, practical storytelling methods, community reporting, volunteer development, trust and accountability, local media sustainability, communications impact, social value, and the wider ideas associated with Foundational Media.
These sessions will also connect with Decentered Media’s wider work. This includes the development of forums, networks, research, practical guidance, policy thinking and open discussion about how media can be rebuilt from civic and community foundations. The focus will not be on abstract theory alone. The emphasis will be on what people can do, what support they need, and how we can strengthen community media practice through shared learning.
The in-person Community Media Cafés will continue to provide an informal local meeting space for people in Leicester and nearby areas. The online Community Media Exchange will extend this approach by creating a wider networked space for people who cannot attend in person, or who are working in other towns, cities, countries and communities.
Each session will be lightly facilitated. Participants will be invited to introduce current questions, share examples from practice, and contribute to a constructive discussion. The intention is not to create another formal webinar series, but to support a continuing conversation between people who care about practical media development and civic communication.
Subscription and participation will be managed through the Decentered Media Forum. To join the forum and receive updates about the Zoom sessions, visit https://forum.decentered.co.uk.
The first session takes place at 4.00pm BST on Wednesday 17th June 2026. Sessions will then recur every two weeks.
Anyone with an active interest in community media, civic communication, independent publishing, storytelling, social value media, or Foundational Media is welcome to take part.