While many local television newsrooms have managers who still don’t text or tweet, odds are the young leaders who replace them will be gamers. “Video games have long provided an outstanding platform for engaging with complicated subjects and situations,” writes Jeffrey Rutenbeck, dean of the School of Communication at American University. The school is launching a new fellowship program with the support of Knight Foundation that focuses on using the study of game theory and media innovation to grow the next generation of newsroom leaders:
Why games?
Having worked with a broad range of game designers for the past 12 years, I’ve long known that their unique approaches to information (aka stories), to audience (aka players), to interaction (aka play) and to motivation (aka rewards) bring value and inspiration to every design problem and social challenge they approach, even those that aren’t obviously game related.
AdvertisementThe best know that their work is only as good as the last game they’ve released, and they are committed to a constant process of prototyping and reiteration that pushes the limits of their craft. What can journalism learn from the way they think?
So add that to the list of expected interview questions: what news do you watch? What’s the last book you read? What video games do you play?