This chapter examines how Grocott’s Mail, a university-owned community newspaper in Makhanda, South Africa, functions as a communicative nexus within a fragmented local information and communication ecosystem. Drawing on Communication Infrastructure Theory, civic and ecological mapping frameworks, and community-centred journalism approaches, it analyses how historical inequalities, political constraints, and digital divides shape civic communication in this small university city. The research reveals how Makhanda’s communication ecosystem is bifurcated along class lines, with more affluent residents using WhatsApp groups for civic discourse and coordination while township residents rely on large Facebook groups that serve as quasi-public spheres. The analysis demonstrates how post-apartheid political dynamics create a ‘matrix’ of constraints, with limited civic discourse, little vertical accountability between citizens and state, and few horizontal communication bridges between social divides. Community media must navigate these constraints, and the chapter outlines Grocott’s Mail’s practical attempts to bridge these fragmentations by monitoring diverse digital platforms, fostering cross-community dialogue, and experimenting with engaged journalism practices. It is argued that strengthening local journalism in such contexts requires moving beyond traditional reporting models to embrace relational, community-centred approaches that build trust across historical divisions. The chapter contributes to understanding how community media in the Global South can serve as critical infrastructure for democratic deepening despite severe structural constraints.