by Lukas on 23 Sep 2026

What It Actually Takes to Win on Reddit: With Rachel Duffy (The Times)

Reddit has a reputation problem. Most brands either ignore it, or treat it purely as a risk to monitor from a distance. In our latest webinar, Rob Fawkes sat down with Rachel Duffy to talk about what actually works when a major media brand shows up on Reddit properly, drawing on her own experience and expertise.

Rachel Duffy is Head of Community at The Times and Sunday Times, having previously helped build the Telegraph’s Reddit presence during their US election push. She’s the founder of the Young Journalists Network, a community supporting early-career journalists, and has become one of the most recognised voices on Reddit strategy in UK media.

Watch the Recording

Play video

A few highlights from the conversation

• Karma, moderators, astroturfing: Rachel walked through the basics for anyone newer to the platform, and why understanding the jargon matters before you post a single thing.
• From skeptic to convert: Rachel was once wary of Reddit and its anonymous users. She shared what changed her mind personally, and how her experience covering the 2024 US election shifted her whole approach to the platform.
• Unduplicated reach: Drawing on her own observations, Rachel talked about how little overlap there is between Reddit audiences and other social platforms, and why that matters for anyone trying to reach new readers or customers.
• Moderators are not the enemy: Some of the most practical advice of the session came from Rachel’s own playbook for building genuine relationships with subreddit moderators, rather than treating them as a gatekeeper to get past.
• Reddit and LLMs: Rachel offered her personal take on where Reddit sits as more people turn to AI tools for answers, while noting she was speculating rather than sharing any insider knowledge.

Missed our first Reddit webinar?

This is the second session in our Reddit series. In the first one, Keith Nieves, Global Head of Communities at Sonos (known on the platform as u/KeithFromSonos), joined Rob Fawkes to break down how Sonos built one of the most talked-about brand presences on Reddit, from the decision to introduce a person rather than a brand account, to how an app update crisis became the moment that actually built trust with the community. You can watch it here: What It Actually Takes to Win on Reddit – With Keith Nieves from Sonos.