diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index 9da3b0c69f..a7f4eabf61 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -12,11 +12,89 @@ This PR addresses ...
 ## Tasks
 - [ ] **request a review from someone specific**, to avoid making the maintainers review every PR
 - [ ] add a build milestone, i.e. `Build 11.3` (use the [latest build](https://github.com/spacetelescope/jwst/milestones) if not sure)
-- [ ] Does this PR change user-facing code / API?
-  - [ ] add an entry to `CHANGES.rst` within the relevant release section (otherwise add the `no-changelog-entry-needed` label to this PR)
+- [ ] Does this PR change user-facing code / API? (if not, label with `no-changelog-entry-needed`)
+  - [ ] write news fragment(s) in `changes/`: `echo "changed something" > changes/<PR#>.<changetype>.rst` (see below for change types) 
   - [ ] update or add relevant tests
   - [ ] update relevant docstrings and / or `docs/` page
   - [ ] [start a regression test](https://github.com/spacetelescope/RegressionTests/actions/workflows/jwst.yml) and include a link to the running job ([click here for instructions](https://github.com/spacetelescope/RegressionTests/blob/main/docs/running_regression_tests.md))
     - [ ] Do truth files need to be updated ("okified")?
       - [ ] **after the reviewer has approved these changes**, run `okify_regtests` to update the truth files
 - [ ] if a JIRA ticket exists, [make sure it is resolved properly](https://github.com/spacetelescope/jwst/wiki/How-to-resolve-JIRA-issues)
+
+<details><summary>news fragment change types...</summary>
+
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.general.rst``: infrastructure or miscellaneous change
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.docs.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.stpipe.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.datamodels.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.scripts.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.fits_generator.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.set_telescope_pointing.rst``
+
+    ## stage 1
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.group_scale.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.dq_init.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.emicorr.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.saturation.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.ipc.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.firstframe.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.lastframe.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.reset.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.superbias.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.refpix.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.linearity.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.rscd.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.persistence.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.dark_current.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.charge_migration.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.jump.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.ramp_fitting.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.gain_scale.rst``
+
+    ## stage 2
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.assign_wcs.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.msaflagopen.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.nsclean.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.imprint.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.background.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.extract_2d.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.master_background.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.wavecorr.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.srctype.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.straylight.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.wfss_contam.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.flatfield.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.fringe.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.pathloss.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.barshadow.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.photom.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.pixel_replace.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.resample_spec.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.residual_fringe.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.cube_build.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.extract_1d.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.resample.rst``
+
+    ## stage 3
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.assign_mtwcs.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.mrs_imatch.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.tweakreg.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.skymatch.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.exp_to_source.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.outlier_detection.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.tso_photometry.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.stack_refs.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.align_refs.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.klip.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.spectral_leak.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.source_catalog.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.combine_1d.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.ami.rst``
+
+    ## other
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.wfs_combine.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.white_light.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.cube_skymatch.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.engdb_tools.rst``
+    - ``changes/<PR#>.guider_cds.rst``
+</details>
diff --git a/.github/workflows/changelog.yml b/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
index 0ef4a043b0..a6889ab407 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
@@ -1,16 +1,31 @@
-name: Ensure changelog
+name: changelog
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    types: [labeled, unlabeled, opened, synchronize, reopened]
+    types:
+      - labeled
+      - unlabeled
+      - opened
+      - synchronize
+      - reopened
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
-  ensure_changelog:
-    name: Verify that a changelog entry exists for this pull request
+  check:
+    if: ${{ !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'no-changelog-entry-needed') }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: 3
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          submodules: true
-      - run: grep -P '\[[^\]]*#${{github.event.number}}[,\]]' CHANGES.rst
-        if: ${{ !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'no-changelog-entry-needed') }}
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - run: pip install .
+      - run: pip install towncrier
+      - run: towncrier check
+      - run: towncrier build --draft | grep -P '#${{ github.event.number }}'
+
diff --git a/.readthedocs.yaml b/.readthedocs.yaml
index 6dff1248d4..107815b26e 100644
--- a/.readthedocs.yaml
+++ b/.readthedocs.yaml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ build:
       - git fetch --all --tags || true
     pre_install:
       - git update-index --assume-unchanged docs/rtd_environment.yaml docs/conf.py
+    post_install:
+      - towncrier build --keep
 
 conda:
   environment: docs/rtd_environment.yaml
diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 63bb799b99..7500ad652f 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -416,7 +416,6 @@ tweakreg
 - Step now uses `ModelLibrary` to handle accessing models consistently
   whether they are in memory or on disk. [#8683]
 
-
 1.15.1 (2024-07-08)
 ===================
 
diff --git a/changes/.gitkeep b/changes/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/changes/8671.docs.rst b/changes/8671.docs.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..724817599d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/8671.docs.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+use ``towncrier`` to handle change log entries
diff --git a/docs/rtd_environment.yaml b/docs/rtd_environment.yaml
index aeebc4dff6..f6818e66e9 100644
--- a/docs/rtd_environment.yaml
+++ b/docs/rtd_environment.yaml
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ dependencies:
  - pip
  - graphviz
  - sphinx_rtd_theme>1.2.0
+ - towncrier
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index dd65909821..def298ae11 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -193,7 +193,6 @@ minversion = "6.0"
 norecursedirs = [
     "docs/_build",
     "docs/exts",
-    "jwst/timeconversion",
     "jwst/associations/tests/data",
     "scripts",
     ".tox",
@@ -286,3 +285,366 @@ lint.ignore = [
 "jwst/ramp_fitting/tests/*" = [
     "E402", # module-level import not at top of file
 ]
+
+[tool.towncrier]
+filename = "CHANGES.rst"
+directory = "changes"
+package = "jwst"
+title_format = "{version} ({project_date})"
+ignore = [".gitkeep"]
+wrap = true
+issue_format = "`#{issue} <https://github.com/spacetelescope/jwst/issues/{issue}>`_"
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "general"
+name = "General"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "docs"
+name = "Documentation"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "stpipe"
+name = '``stpipe``'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "datamodels"
+name = "Data Models"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "associations"
+name = "Associations"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "scripts"
+name = "Scripts"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "fits_generator"
+name = "``fits_generator``"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "set_telescope_pointing"
+name = '``set_telescope_pointing``'
+showcontent = true
+
+# pipeline
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "pipeline"
+name = 'Pipeline'
+showcontent = true
+
+# steps
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "align_refs"
+name = 'align_refs (coron3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "ami"
+name = 'ami_analyze / ami_normalize / ami_average (ami3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "assign_mtwcs"
+name = 'assign_mtwcs (image3, spec3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "assign_wcs"
+name = 'assign_wcs (image2, spec2)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "background"
+name = 'background (image2, spec2)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "badpix_selfcal"
+name = 'badpix_selfcal (spec2)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "barshadow"
+name = 'barshadow (spec2 MOS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "charge_migration"
+name = "charge_migration (detector1 NIR)"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "clean_flicker_noise"
+name = "clean_flicker_noise (detector1)"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "combine_1d"
+name = 'combine_1d (spec3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "cube_build"
+name = 'cube_build (spec2 IFU, spec3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "cube_skymatch"
+name = 'cube_skymatch'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "dark_current"
+name = 'dark_current (detector1 NIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "dq_init"
+name = 'dq_init (detector1)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "emicorr"
+name = 'emicorr (detector1 MIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "engdb_tools"
+name = 'engdb_tools'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "exp_to_source"
+name = 'exp_to_source (spec3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "extract_1d"
+name = 'extract_1d (spec2, spec3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "extract_2d"
+name = 'extract_2d (spec2 MOS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "firstframe"
+name = 'firstframe (detector1 MIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "flatfield"
+name = 'flatfield (image2, spec2)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "fringe"
+name = 'fringe (spec2 IFU)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "gain_scale"
+name = 'gain_scale (detector1 NIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "group_scale"
+name = 'group_scale (detector1 NIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "guider_cds"
+name = 'guider_cds (FGS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "imprint"
+name = 'imprint (spec2 IFU, spec2 MOS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "ipc"
+name = 'ipc (detector1)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "jump"
+name = 'jump (detector1)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "klip"
+name = "klip (coron3)"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "lastframe"
+name = 'lastframe (detector1 MIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "linearity"
+name = 'linearity (detector1)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "master_background"
+name = 'master_background (spec2 MOS, spec3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "mrs_imatch"
+name = 'mrs_imatch (spec3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "msaflagopen"
+name = 'msaflagopen (spec2 IFU, spec2 MOS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "nsclean"
+name = "nsclean (spec2 IFU, spec2 MOS)"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "outlier_detection"
+name = 'outlier_detection (image3, tso3, spec3, coron3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "pathloss"
+name = 'pathloss (spec2 IFU, spec2 MOS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "persistence"
+name = 'persistence (detector1 NIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "photom"
+name = 'photom (image2, spec2)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "pixel_replace"
+name = 'pixel_replace (spec2 MOS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "ramp_fitting"
+name = 'ramp_fitting (detector1)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "refpix"
+name = 'refpix (detector1)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "resample"
+name = 'resample (image2, image3, coron3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "resample_spec"
+name = 'resample_spec (spec2 MOS, spec3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "reset"
+name = 'reset (detector1 MIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "residual_fringe"
+name = 'residual_fringe (spec2 IFU)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "rscd"
+name = 'rscd (detector1 MIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "saturation"
+name = 'saturation (detector1)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "skymatch"
+name = 'skymatch (image3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "source_catalog"
+name = 'source_catalog (image3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "spectral_leak"
+name = "spectral_leak (spec3)"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "srctype"
+name = 'srctype (spec2)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "stack_refs"
+name = "stack_refs (coron3)"
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "straylight"
+name = 'straylight (spec2 IFU)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "superbias"
+name = 'superbias (detector1 NIR)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "tso_photometry"
+name = 'tso_photometry (tso3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "tweakreg"
+name = 'tweakreg (image3)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "wavecorr"
+name = 'wavecorr (spec2 MOS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "wfs_combine"
+name = 'wfs_combine'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "wfss_contam"
+name = 'wfss_contam (spec2 WFSS)'
+showcontent = true
+
+[[tool.towncrier.type]]
+directory = "white_light"
+name = 'white_light'
+showcontent = true