✅ Checklist: News Communities

Launching a news community with tchop.io is more than “spinning up an app”—it’s a strategic editorial project AND product. This checklist helps publishers plan and design their community end-to-end: from audience and value proposition to content formats, structure (channels & mixes), onboarding, engagement loops, and moderation.

It also covers distribution (push, email, web), growth tactics, analytics/KPIs, and operational workflows so your team can launch fast and learn even faster. Use it as a blueprint before kickoff—and as a living document you refine after launch.

We structure this check list based on the types of content you provide and plan to include.

Your own content

1. How will you use your own content in the feed?

• What’s the main purpose of your feed — breaking news, daily briefings, or in-depth features?

• How often will you publish? What defines success (views, reactions, shares)?

• Which other media formats do you want to include, and where should they appear — inside the main feed or in a separate space?

• How will you import or manage them (manual upload, RSS, API)?

• Should some formats be exclusive to registered or paid users?

• Will you create original, community-only content? (e.g. Q&As, editor’s notes, insider stories)

2. Structure and organization

• Should the content sections mirror your website sections (e.g. Politics, Sports) — or follow a separate structure (e.g. interests, regions, formats)?

• Which channels and mixes will you use? (e.g. “Top Stories,” “Community Picks,” “Behind the Scenes”)

• Who is responsible for posting and moderation?

• Do you want to use tags for content (for your own or any content?), if yes, whats the goal behind it?

Curated content

1. Sources, strategy and presentation

• Do you want to include curated content — and if yes, from which sources (other media brands, competitors, social media, newsletters, podcasts, youtube etc.)?

• Which sources should be fully automated, means you can use all content? And where should it be manually be curated?

• Who should curate content: your editorial team, experts, influencers?

• Should curated items appear directly in the main news feed or in a separate mix (“From the web”, “What others say”)?

2. Value & relevance

• How does curation add value for your audience — context, diversity, depth, or trust?

• Are there topics or sources that should be excluded (competitors, paywalled content, etc.)?

User-generated content

1. Contribution types

• What kind of user content do you want to allow — comments or also full posts and links?

• Do you want specific spaces or mixes for community contributions (e.g. “Your stories”, “Reader tips”, “Local voices”) or should it happen in the news feed?

• If user generated content is separated, do you want editors to feature or reuse great user posts in your main content stream?

• How can you motivate users to contribute (badges, shout-outs, leaderboards, featuring posts in main feed)?

• Will you highlight top comments or reward helpful participation? If yes, how?

2. Moderation & quality control

• Who will review user content — automatically, manually, or both?

• What are your moderation rules and escalation paths?

• Do you want to use AI moderation to detect offensive or spammy content automatically?

Community features & formats

1. Push Notifications & Communication Rhythm

• Do you plan to send editorial push notifications? (We highly recommend it!)

• Who is responsible for sending them — editors, community managers, or automated workflows?

• What type of content will you push — breaking news, highlights, community updates, discussions?

2. Threads & Discussions

• How will you use threads to create meaningful discussions — per topic, per article, or for special events?

• Will editors actively join the conversation to guide tone and depth?

• Do you want to highlight “hot topics” or pin key threads to increase visibility?

3. Public Chat Groups

• Around which topics or interests will you build public chats — e.g. sports, politics, local communities, or special projects?

• Who moderates and keeps discussions on track?

• How will you balance open exchange with respectful communication?

4. 1:1 Chats & Direct Interaction

• How do you plan to use direct messages — for feedback, customer service, onboarding, or expert Q&As?

• Who from your team should be available for 1:1 communication (editors, moderators, admins)?

• Do you want to use automated welcome messages or AI assistants to greet and guide new users?

5. Engagement & Retention Features

• How will you encourage daily engagement — through polls, highlights, leaderboards, or shout-outs?

• Do you plan to use retention pushes or personalized notifications to bring users back?

• How will you measure success (daily active users, time spent, reactions, comments)?

Final Thoughts

Building a successful news community isn’t just about technology — it’s about people, dialogue, and trust. With tchop, you have all the tools to bring your audience closer, make journalism more interactive, and turn readers into active members.

Use this checklist as a guide to plan your concept, align your team, and define what community truly means for your brand. And always remember: it's not sprint. It's a marathon.

Start small, learn fast, and grow together with your audience — one conversation at a time