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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.

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Upcoming Webinar

  • What’s Working With Public Media Newsletters

    April 23, 2026 1:00 pm EST

    Email newsletters have become a powerful tool for building loyal audiences and creating a direct line to the communities we serve. Unlike social platforms, your newsletter list belongs to you — no algorithm, no platform risk, just a direct connection to the people who want to hear from you.

    In this webinar, practitioners from across public media will share what they’ve learned building newsletters that actually work, from reimagined flagship products to multi-newsletter portfolios and experimental formats. Each speaker will walk through their work in a show-and-tell format, giving you a look at real newsletters in the wild and the thinking behind them.

    Whether you’re launching your first newsletter or rethinking an existing one, you’ll walk away with practical strategies and fresh ideas to take back to your organization.

    Presented by Current and Public Media Innovators.

    Register

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.