Many newspapers now develop targeted niche vertical sites, allow users to discuss topics on message boards, chat onine, and even participate in community-publishing projects. Such projects allow community groups (such as churches, nonprofits and youth sports teams), to post messages, schedules and other information. Templates mean that participants don't need to know HTML.

Unlike traditional content, community tools dramatically change the dynamic between paper and reader. They make the paper an intermediary, bringing together communities of interest. Some even move user-generated information back to the print newspaper.