What would it take to rebuild trust between media organisations and the communities they aim to serve? This question challenges us to consider not only the challenges we face today, but also the opportunities we might have missed. In 2018, I was developing a Community Media Leadership module at De Montfort University, which outlined principles that remain relevant to the development of community media today: fostering collaboration, empowering communities, and developing sustainable practices. I feel, however, that the lack of systematic follow-up and development of these ideas has been a missed opportunity.
I’ve been reflecting on these topics and have realised that there is a need to revisit and build upon them. This blog is both an exploration of these enduring principles and an invitation to participate in their evolution.
Decentered Media is launching an online discussion group via Patreon. Through weekly meetings [4pm Thursdays], we aim to bring together participants who are passionate about leadership and development in community media across the UK. These sessions will revisit the lessons from 2018 and examine their application in today’s context. Together, we can identify how these principles can drive positive change and practical impact.
The discussion group is an opportunity to explore pressing issues in leadership and development, such as:
- How can community media challenge corporate, transactional approaches?
- What strategies can foster long-term, sustainable media practices?
- How can technology be used ethically to amplify community voices?
By joining the conversation, you can help shape a vision for community media leadership that is both reflective and forward-thinking.
Key Principles of Community Media Leadership
The principles of community media leadership provide a foundation for rethinking how we engage with communities and build meaningful relationships. These ideas, introduced in the 2018 module, remain just as relevant today and offer valuable insights for transforming media engagement:
Collaborative Partnerships
Principle: Community media thrives when diverse groups—grassroots organisations, local authorities, educational institutions, and others—work together. Breaking down silos enables organisations to challenge stereotypes and create authentic connections.
Relevance Today: Collaboration is more important than ever as communities navigate challenges like misinformation, declining trust, and social fragmentation. Technology enables these partnerships to extend across geographic boundaries, but shared goals and values remain essential.
Questions for Discussion:
- How can we establish trust and reciprocity in partnerships where resources or power dynamics are unequal?
- What role can online platforms play in fostering meaningful partnerships?
Volunteer Engagement and Empowerment
Principle: Volunteers are the backbone of community media. Effective leadership involves creating participatory spaces, setting realistic expectations, and recognising the contributions of volunteers.
Relevance Today: With the rise of participatory culture on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, there is an opportunity to connect with a broader pool of volunteers. However, ensuring equitable and inclusive participation remains a challenge.
Questions for Discussion:
- How can community media sustain volunteer engagement in an increasingly fast-paced, digital-first world?
- What best practices ensure volunteers feel valued and empowered?
Sustainable Development and Funding Models
Principle: Community media must balance short-term functionality with long-term sustainability. This involves exploring cooperative structures, diverse funding streams, and transparent financial management.
Relevance Today: Traditional funding sources are shrinking, and new opportunities—such as crowdfunding, Patreon subscriptions, or local sponsorships—offer potential alternatives. Sustainability also depends on aligning funding strategies with community values.
Questions for Discussion:
- What innovative funding models are best suited for today’s community media organisations?
- How can media organisations ensure that funding strategies don’t compromise their ethical commitments?
Global and Local Perspectives
Principle: Learning from international practices while adapting them to local contexts strengthens community media. Global networks can offer inspiration and shared learning, while localised approaches ensure relevance and inclusivity.
Relevance Today: Globalisation and digital technology make it easier to access international examples of good practice, but local adaptability remains critical to success.
Questions for Discussion:
- How can global best practices be tailored to address specific local needs?
- What role do digital tools play in bridging global and local perspectives?
These principles form the backbone of community media leadership and are a starting point for our discussion group. Each offers a lens for rethinking how we approach leadership in community media today.
Transforming Corporate and Transactional Media Engagement
At the heart of the community media leadership model lies a challenge: how can media organisations move away from corporate, transactional approaches and adopt practices that foster genuine engagement? The corporate model, with its focus on metrics like reach, clicks, and revenue, often treats audiences as passive consumers rather than active participants. In contrast, community media leadership emphasises dialogue, co-creation, and empowerment, reframing the relationship between media producers and their communities.
Corporate media engagement tends to prioritise efficiency, scale, and control, often at the expense of authenticity. This approach creates a disconnect where media becomes a one-way channel rather than a space for exchange and connection. By adopting principles of community media leadership, organisations have an opportunity to address this disconnect and build trust. For example, collaborative partnerships can replace top-down messaging, involving communities in the creation and dissemination of content. Volunteer engagement can open pathways for diverse voices, ensuring that representation reflects the lived experiences of the audience.
The shift from transactional to relational engagement is not without challenges. Media organisations must contend with pressures to deliver measurable results quickly, while community media approaches often require patience, adaptability, and investment in long-term relationships. Yet, the benefits of this transformation are profound. When media organisations embrace transparency, shared identity, and inclusivity, they create spaces where communities feel valued and empowered to contribute.
This transformation is also a practical response to the erosion of public trust in media. Audiences increasingly seek authenticity and connection, especially in the face of misinformation and polarisation. By embedding community media principles into their practices, organisations can rebuild trust and demonstrate a commitment to serving the public interest.
The question remains: what steps are necessary to achieve this transformation? This is where the discussion group comes in. Through weekly conversations, participants can explore strategies to bridge the gap between corporate imperatives and community-centred values. By learning from past experiences, and adapting to contemporary challenges, we can shape a vision for media that prioritises meaningful relationships over transactions.
Relevance in Contemporary Context
The principles of community media leadership have endured, but the context in which they are applied has changed significantly since 2018. Advances in technology, shifts in public expectations, and the increasing complexity of social challenges demand that we revisit these ideas with fresh eyes. To remain relevant, community media must adapt to the opportunities and challenges presented by a rapidly changing environment.
Technology has transformed how communities interact, create, and share content. Digital tools such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and decentralised platforms have introduced new ways to foster participation and transparency. For example, AI-driven tools can personalise community engagement strategies, while blockchain offers possibilities for transparent funding and governance models. However, these tools also bring ethical concerns, particularly regarding data privacy and equitable access. Integrating these technologies into community media practices requires careful consideration of their potential impact on inclusivity and representation.
Public expectations have also evolved. Audiences today demand more than just access to information; they seek authenticity, representation, and accountability. The rise of participatory platforms like YouTube and TikTok reflects a desire for voices outside the mainstream to be heard. Yet, these platforms often replicate corporate models of engagement, prioritising algorithms and advertising revenue over community impact. Community media has the potential to fill this gap, offering a space where diverse voices can be amplified without being commodified.
Social dynamics have become increasingly complex, with heightened polarisation, misinformation, and economic inequality shaping how communities interact. In this climate, the role of community media as a bridge-builder is more critical than ever. By fostering dialogue and collaboration, community media can create spaces for understanding and mutual respect, even in the face of divisive issues. This requires a renewed focus on leadership that prioritises empathy, adaptability, and a commitment to ethical practice.
These contemporary realities underscore the importance of revisiting the principles of community media leadership. By adapting these ideas to today’s challenges, we can create a roadmap for media engagement that is not only sustainable but also transformative. This is the central aim of the Decentered Media discussion group: to explore how these principles can be applied in practice and to co-create solutions for the future of community media in the UK.
Applying the Model: Practical Steps for Media Transformation
To turn the principles of community media leadership into actionable change, we must consider how they can be implemented within today’s media landscape. Transformation requires a systematic approach, blending reflection, collaboration, and innovation. Below are practical steps that can guide this process, each rooted in the principles of community media leadership but adapted for contemporary challenges.
Leadership Training and Development
Leadership within community media needs to prioritise empathy, adaptability, and inclusivity. Developing training programmes tailored to these values can help equip media practitioners with the tools they need to foster meaningful engagement. Workshops and mentorship opportunities can explore topics such as ethical decision-making, collaborative project design, and managing diverse community perspectives.
Practical Question: How can leadership development initiatives ensure they address the unique needs of different communities?
Integrating Technology Thoughtfully
Technology offers tools to expand the reach and impact of community media, but its integration should be guided by principles of inclusion and transparency. Platforms for participatory media production, decentralised governance systems, and AI-driven content moderation can help create equitable spaces for engagement. However, these tools must be implemented with safeguards against exclusion and misuse.
Practical Question: How can we balance the benefits of technological innovation with the need to maintain ethical, human-centred practices?
Building Networks of Practice
Strong networks are essential for fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge. By connecting community media organisations, grassroots initiatives, and independent practitioners, we can create a collective resource for innovation and problem-solving. The Decentered Media discussion group is an example of how these networks can form, with weekly meetings providing a space to exchange ideas and experiences.
Practical Question: What strategies can strengthen connections between local and national initiatives in community media?
Measuring Impact Beyond Metrics
Community media’s success cannot always be measured in clicks or views. Instead, it must focus on indicators of trust, participation, and representation. Developing new frameworks for evaluating impact, such as qualitative feedback or storytelling, can provide a more holistic understanding of media’s role in strengthening communities.
Practical Question: How can impact measurement be designed to reflect the lived experiences of the communities served?
Encouraging Continuous Reflection
Transformation is an ongoing process that requires regular reflection and adaptation. Establishing spaces for dialogue—such as the Decentered Media discussion group—enables practitioners to revisit challenges, share lessons learned, and co-create strategies for improvement. Reflection is not only about looking back, but also about planning forward, ensuring that community media remains responsive to emerging needs.
Practical Question: What reflective practices can ensure community media leadership stays relevant and responsive over time?
By taking these steps, we can create a foundation for media engagement that prioritises identity, collaboration, and sustainability. The principles of community media leadership, combined with a willingness to adapt and innovate, offer a clear path toward transformative change.
The invitation remains open: join Decentered Media’s online discussion group via Patreon and be part of a collective effort to redefine what community media can achieve. Together, we can revisit these principles, explore their application in practice, and build a vision for the future of community media in the UK.
Join the Conversation
Leadership in community media is not just about managing projects or producing content; it’s about fostering connections, empowering voices, and building trust. The principles outlined in the 2018 Community Media Leadership module offer a timeless framework for achieving these goals, but the real challenge lies in applying them to today’s dynamic media landscape.
The opportunity to transform media engagement has never been more urgent or promising. By revisiting these principles, adapting them to contemporary contexts, and committing to ongoing reflection, we can move away from corporate, transactional approaches and towards practices that prioritise collaboration, sustainability, and community empowerment.
This transformation begins with conversation. Decentered Media’s online discussion group via Patreon is your invitation to join a collective exploration of leadership and development in community media. Through weekly online meetings, we’ll explore practical and pragmatic ways to rebalance media engagement. This approach offers an alternative to the limitations of corporate control, the whims of billionaire proprietors, and the exploitation of human weaknesses that fuel clickbait and indignation-driven models of communication.
This group is open to anyone who is interested in and supportive of the purpose of community-focused media. Whether you’re a practitioner, an advocate, or simply curious about community media’s potential, your voice is essential to this dialogue. Together, we’ll examine:
- How the lessons of 2018 remain relevant today.
- How we can address the challenges of modern media engagement.
- What steps are needed to ensure community media leads the way in fostering trust and collaboration.
Let’s take this opportunity to turn reflection into action, to learn from the past while creating a vision for the future.