We Are Camdenist

Camdenist is a collaborative media platform celebrating the best of culture, arts and events in the area.

Camden buzzes with friendly, independent shops, local markets, popups and cafes. Residents and business owners alike form a tight-knit community here, creating a welcoming atmosphere for everyone.

You can find us across web, email, social media, events and print. Read on for our manifesto or visit the FAQ page where we answer a lot of the key questions you may have.

Our goal is to create a totally new approach to local publishing, using the latest technology – and some of the oldest, too – as a means to connect people and promote all the good things that happen in the London Borough of Camden.

We started during the Covid crisis which demonstrated there’s never been greater need for a collaborative and democratic form of locally-focused storytelling.

Here’s our manifesto. We welcome all feedback, and hope you’ll want to be involved, as a reader, contributor, partner or critic, and grow with us.

Promoting the local economy

• Use of local sources of employment, skills, training, talent, supply chain and services wherever possible
• Pro-actively encourage a more circular local economy, keeping spending local by offering a showcase for all local businesses
• Supporting the return of strong arts, creative and night-time economies
• Shining a light on innovative visions for sustainable high streets, low/zero-carbon transportation and data-driven decisions and improvements in Camden

Engaging equally with our community

• Improve intergenerational communication with our editorial approach and tone when covering local issues
• Offer meaningful participatory opportunities to locals of all social backgrounds, ethnic origins and age groups
• Facilitate the exchange of truthful, accurate information and ideas – on and off our platforms
• Strengthen media literacy and content creation skills by demonstrating best practice in our work, output and training opportunities

Leading a culture-first agenda

• Pro-actively support the unique cultural institutions, existing artistic legacy, and the many creative individuals based in Camden
• Our editorial policy will always focus on positive storytelling about the people, places and initiatives in our area
• Partnering with existing charity and youth programmes with an aim to give meaningful training opportunities to the next generation, in investigative, cultural and opinion-based journalism

Cultivate the best environmental practices

This should go without saying, but our specific policies include:

• Use of 100% recycled newsprint for our physical publications
• Electric vehicles and e-cargo-bikes for distribution
• Website runs on clean energy data centres
• Continually pushing our partners to reduce their environmental impact
• Support of sympathetic regeneration projects with eco-credentials at their heart, and sustainable heritage informing their future

Collectively creating a new model for local media

• Ensuring that Camdenist is a sustainable community asset with a long-term future 
• Involving our readers intrinsically in the editorial process via meetings, forums, feedback and a transparent editorial planning process
• Pioneering partnerships with key local stakeholder businesses without compromising editorial integrity
• Use of the very latest data insights and new technologies for public good
• Challenge old working practices by partnering with rivals, and connecting private, public and community entrepreneurs on initiatives that directly invest in local development