Why?

Reading news is not enjoyable. The onslaught of confusing headlines, the pop-ups, the tactics to pull you from social media with zero context. While people cancel news subscriptions, they are going all-in on fandoms, hobbies and cultural experiences. They pack into The Sphere, Meow Wolf and baking classes to feel tactile enjoyment and a sense of community.

What do theme parks, cosplay conventions, escape rooms and immersive experiences do that the media doesn’t? What can we learn from fun experiences to ease cognitive load and increase information retention.

Studying neuroscience and positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, I’m combining several years of audience engagement and user experience to understand how we can create news experiences that make people genuinely excited to learn and remember.

Hi, I’m Annemarie and I’ve never met a hobby with a fanbase that I wasn’t obsessed with. The joy people feel, the release of anger, fuels me to task myself and the field of journalism to get better at information systems. Having worked in news communities for over 15 years, I believe we must learn from positive experiences to increase knowledge equity and enjoyment around learning.

Let’s talk about it.

And just like commenters of fandoms who will never let you go without waxing poetic, I want to hear about your own cultural experiences. What should I visit next? What did I miss about this experience? What hobby lightens your cognitive load?

This newsletter is independently produced by a freelance writer, and all contributions go toward churros and Magic the Gathering cards.