Diana López joins The Lenfest Institute as Community Manager

January 22, 2024

The Lenfest Institute is home to four Communities of Practice, which provide free support and resources for more than 2,300 journalism professionals and dozens of news organizations. As these communities grow, we’re expanding our team to better support their members.  

We’re excited to announce Diana López has joined The Lenfest Institute as our first-ever Community Manager. 

In this role, she supports the Institute’s four Communities of Practice — The News Philanthropy Network, the Audience Community of Practice, the Statewide News Collective, and the Engaged Cities Community.  

Diana oversees the day-to-day activities of the communities, and she works directly to support community members by creating space for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, mentorship, and coaching. Prior to joining the Institute, Diana spent five years at the Online News Association coordinating programs, resources, volunteers, and community initiatives. She also worked as a broadcast researcher for the nationally syndicated news magazine show Inside Edition. 

We welcomed Diana to our team at the start of the new year, and we recently caught up with her to discuss her new role and learn more about her interest in local journalism. 

Tell us a little bit about what you’ll be doing as the community manager. 

I see my new role as a bridge between the Institute and our Communities of Practice. I will focus on strengthening connections and fostering a sense of belonging among members. My goal is to further advance the Communities of Practice while encouraging safe, collaborative spaces where everyone can help each other out. 

What made you interested in this role and joining The Lenfest Institute?  

Journalism professionals deserve to have welcoming spaces where they can form meaningful connections with peers as they navigate this unpredictable industry. I truly believe the future of journalism, especially local journalism, lies in the collective power we can leverage together. The Lenfest Institue has been a leader on this front, especially in its partnership with the Knight Foundation to support our four learning communities. This is where I come in, and I am honored for the opportunity to join this effort.  

What does local news mean to you?  

As a journalist and a community professional, I see local news as a fundamental element of community-building. Local news helps us bridge divides, encourages inclusivity, and provides opportunities for connecting in our cities. It makes the news consumption experience more personal, and it tends to drive more action than national news. Plus, it helps us hold our community leaders accountable. I rely on local news to help me better understand my surroundings. 

Anything else you’d like community members to know about you?  

I look forward to meeting everyone! You can join a Community of Practice here.