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Public Media Innovators is a community of forward-thinking media professionals exploring how emerging technology, creative experimentation, and bold ideas can strengthen the mission of public service media.
We believe in a future of public media with human editorial values at its core — people first, people last. And we believe that the definition of “media” must expand if we hope to maintain relevance in a world of virtual experiences and algorithmic mediation.
We don’t always have the answers, but we’ll always ask the questions. Through monthly webinars, shared resources, and collaboration across stations and disciplines, we help each other navigate change and imagine what’s next.
Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on events, webinars, and fresh ideas.
Upcoming Webinar
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After the Feed: AI and the Future of Community
August 20, 2026 1:00 pm EST
RegisterAs AI rapidly becomes the new way people find and make sense of information, AI systems are disrupting social platforms and news providers alike. For public media stations that are built around community and trust, that shift raises the question: will people still come to us, or chat with AI instead? And what happens to the relationships we’ve built with our audience and our members?
Angelica Quicksey, Managing Director of New_ Public, will share her organization’s latest research on how “agentic interfaces” are becoming the new gatekeepers of what people see and trust online. She’ll walk through why audiences are shifting away from public conversation and algorithmic feeds toward smaller spaces and trust-based relationships with creators and journalists.
This session is aimed at station leadership, community engagement, and development teams thinking through what this shift means for our audience relationships. Read New_ Public’s full report at newpublic.org/afterthefeed
Public Media Innovators Founders
Chad Davis
Chief Innovation Officer
Nebraska Public Media
Chad is Nebraska Public Media’s Chief Innovation Strategist, a role that is part futurist, part entrepreneur, and part partnership doula. He also writes and publishes the Public Media Innovators newsletter, covering the intersection of emerging media and public media.
Amber Samdahl
Director of Design & Innovation
PBS Wisconsin
Amber leads the Design, Digital & Emerging Media work at PBS Wisconsin. Her creative team works across digital platforms, graphic design, motion graphics, scenic design, animation, and interactive design to create inclusive and future-focused experiences for audiences across Wisconsin.
With a background in Radio/TV/Film, Computer Science and a Masters in Entertainment Technology, Amber thrives at the intersection of design and technology. She joined public media after 14 years at Walt Disney Imagineering in the R&D and Creative departments.
David Huppert
Former Director of the Media Innovation Lab
PBS North Carolina
David’s media journey started in 2000 at PBS’s Charlie Rose. Over time, he produced content for FOX NEWS, CNBC, and CBS, and led PBS North Carolina’s Media Innovation Lab. His projects spanned podcasting, Generative AI, AR apps, and online learning, with a focus on new media and tech.