For decades, journalism organizations have focused much of their innovation energy on adapting existing products to new technologies. But according to Chad Davis, Chief Innovation Officer at Nebraska Public Media and founder of the Public Media Futures Lab, the larger challenge may be recognizing that audience behavior itself has fundamentally changed.
During a recent episode of E&P Reports, Davis argued that many of journalism’s current struggles stem from viewing the future through assumptions rooted in a media environment that no longer exists. From gaming and audience engagement to artificial intelligence and communication habits, Davis believes media leaders need to broaden their understanding of where audiences are headed and how journalism can remain relevant within those shifts.
Gaming as audience engagement
One of Davis’ most provocative arguments centers on gaming, which he believes remains significantly underestimated by many news organizations.
While local news leaders are understandably focused on preserving journalism amid shrinking resources, Davis suggested that gaming offers lessons in audience relationships and habit formation that media companies should not ignore. He pointed to The New York Times as a notable example, explaining that among public media game developers, “we think that’s kind of the model,” joking that “The New York Times is a gaming company with a news problem.”
Behind the humor lies a serious observation. Davis noted that the Times has demonstrated how games can create “daily habit formation” and “daily interactions with their brand.” He argued that gaming has helped the organization “extend their mission and values through gaming, and that helps them support the journalism.”
Rather than viewing games as unrelated to news, Davis believes they can strengthen audience connections and provide additional pathways for serving communities. As he explained, “news directors need to be thinking about games as a way of continuing to serve the audience beyond the core work that they still need to be doing.”
From literacy to conversation
Davis also explored a broader theory about how information is consumed and shared, drawing on concepts popularized by Jeff Jarvis and others through the idea of the Gutenberg Parenthesis.
According to Davis, the printing press enabled society to develop a culture of literacy in which information became fixed, repeatable and widely distributed. But he believes digital platforms are now driving a shift back toward a more conversational and oral culture.
Before widespread literacy, Davis explained, information for most people “was conveyed orally.” Today, he sees echoes of that dynamic in social media and creator-driven platforms. When audiences consume content through TikTok, YouTube and Instagram personalities, he said, “that is a reversion to, I think, a very natural human way of communication, which is oral, which is orality.”
Davis noted that scholars have examined these patterns for decades, and he believes the trend has become increasingly visible in modern media consumption. Referencing current audience behaviors, he pointed to “the rise of influencers” and what he described as “the shift toward influencers and away from institutional news reporting.”
For journalism organizations, understanding this transition may be critical. Consumer habits, he argued, are increasingly “sliding toward orality,” forcing news organizations to reconsider how audiences discover, trust and engage with information.
AI, creativity and productive friction
Davis also challenged the common assumption that artificial intelligence primarily exists to eliminate work and reduce effort.
Reflecting on a phrase he encountered at the Game Developers Conference, Davis embraced the idea that “AI is the forge, not the fire.” In his view, AI creates possibilities, but it does not replace human judgment or creativity. Instead, it provides the environment that helps people shape ideas.
As Davis explained, “AI is going to give you the capacity to do things, but it is not the thing that actually changes the physical composition of the material you’re working with.” Rather than replacing human imagination, he said, “it is the overall ecosystem that makes the shaping possible.”
He believes the true value of AI emerges when people approach it with clear goals and intentionality. Davis warned against what he called “the use of AI without intent,” describing that approach as simply “throwing stuff into the prompt window and letting it generate whatever and then publishing that.”
By contrast, he views AI as a tool that can stimulate thinking and even create useful challenges. “I think AI can actually help you create some creative friction,” he said. Rather than pursuing a future that is entirely frictionless, Davis argued that “we as humans need friction” because “that’s where we get our best ideas.”
Looking ahead, Davis believes media leaders may need to become more deliberate about balancing efficiency with creativity. As AI continues to reshape workflows, he suggested organizations will increasingly need to act as “curators of friction,” preserving the challenges that inspire innovation while embracing tools that expand human potential.
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