Virtual Reality, 360⁰ Video, and Journalism Studies: Conceptual Approaches to Immersive Technologies

A growing number of newsrooms are experimenting with Virtual Reality (VR) and other immersive storytelling techniques, typically supported by technology companies that see journalism as a potential vehicle for taking VR mainstream. The resulting pieces have been wide-ranging in topic, style, and scope, but all introduce new complexities to journalistic norms and practices. To date, however, journalism studies scholars have conducted relatively little research into these immersive technologies. This essay proposes three conceptual approaches to examining VR journalism: Actor-Network Theory, normative theory, and a sociological perspective on journalistic work

Promises, pitfalls and potentials of immersive journalism

When moving the discussion from VR-based interactive fiction to non-fiction genres such as immersive journalism, several issues of critical concern come to the fore: 1) How can the informants (or, indeed, the objects) of the immersive experiences implied by 360-degree journalism be adequately protected and how can they be properly included in the projects realized in their life worlds? 2) Which implicit understandings of realism are underlying the wide-spread presumption of VR-promoters to be able to offer unmitigated access to the lives of others? 3) Is the triggering of emotional reactions really a task for journalists, and if yes, what are the wider implications of this for the journalistic profession? And finally, 4) how can audiences be sufficiently made aware of the manipulative nature, constructed frames, and potentially disturbing effects of the simulations they are immersed in? This chapter will unpack these questions, which continue to haunt current attempts to realize the potentials of immersive journalism. The chapter proposes how a genuinely ethical immersive journalism might look like, and how the identified severe ethical and epistemological problems can be addressed in a productive and progressive manner

Immersive Journalism as Storytelling

"This book sets out cutting-edge new research and examines future prospects on 360-degree video, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) in journalism, analyzing and discussing virtual world experiments from a range of perspectives. Featuring contributions from a diverse range of scholars, Immersive Journalism as Storytelling highlights both the opportunities and the challenges presented by this form of storytelling. The book discusses how immersive journalism has the potential to reach new audiences, change the way stories are told, and provide more interactivity within the news industry. Aside from generating deeper emotional reactions and global perspectives, the book demonstrates how it can also diversify and upskill the news industry. Further contributions address the challenges, examining how immersive storytelling calls for reassessing issues of journalism ethics and truthfulness, transparency, privacy, manipulation, and surveillance, and questioning what it means to cover reality when a story is told in virtual reality. Chapters are grounded in empirical data such as content analyses and expert interviews, alongside insightful case studies that discuss Euronews, Nonny de la Peña’s Project Syria, and The New York Times’ NYTVR application. This book is written for journalism teachers, educators, and students, as well as scholars, politicians, lawmakers, and citizens with an interest in emerging technologies for media practice.

The Information of Things: A Study on the Potential of Journalism with 5G Technology

This research conducted at the University of Barcelona explores the intersection of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), mobile 5G, and the Internet of Things (IoT) within journalistic frameworks, aiming to uncover the evolving dynamics in newsrooms influenced by these advancements. By employing methodologies such as bibliographic research for a theoretical exploration of IoT, AI, 5G, and participant observation with the Research Group on Information, Communication, and Culture, the study aims to offer a qualitative insight into the integration of these technologies in journalism. The study focuses on how AI-driven algorithms, 5G connectivity, and IoT devices are collectively transforming journalistic content creation and dissemination, offering new opportunities for enhanced efficiency and creativity while also introducing challenges in real-time data handling, analysis, and distribution. The expected results include a deeper understanding of the impact and potential of these technologies in journalism, emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and ethical practices to uphold journalistic integrity and promote informed public discourse amidst these technological advancements

Immersive Journalism as Storytelling

"This book sets out cutting-edge new research and examines future prospects on 360-degree video, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) in journalism, analyzing and discussing virtual world experiments from a range of perspectives. Featuring contributions from a diverse range of scholars, Immersive Journalism as Storytelling highlights both the opportunities and the challenges presented by this form of storytelling. The book discusses how immersive journalism has the potential to reach new audiences, change the way stories are told, and provide more interactivity within the news industry. Aside from generating deeper emotional reactions and global perspectives, the book demonstrates how it can also diversify and upskill the news industry. Further contributions address the challenges, examining how immersive storytelling calls for reassessing issues of journalism ethics and truthfulness, transparency, privacy, manipulation, and surveillance, and questioning what it means to cover reality when a story is told in virtual reality. Chapters are grounded in empirical data such as content analyses and expert interviews, alongside insightful case studies that discuss Euronews, Nonny de la Peña’s Project Syria, and The New York Times’ NYTVR application. This book is written for journalism teachers, educators, and students, as well as scholars, politicians, lawmakers, and citizens with an interest in emerging technologies for media practice.

Immersive Journalism as Storytelling

This book sets out cutting-edge new research and examines future prospects on 360-degree video, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) in journalism, analyzing and discussing virtual world experiments from a range of perspectives. Featuring contributions from a diverse range of scholars, Immersive Journalism as Storytelling highlights both the opportunities and the challenges presented by this form of storytelling. The book discusses how immersive journalism has the potential to reach new audiences, change the way stories are told, and provide more interactivity within the news industry. Aside from generating deeper emotional reactions and global perspectives, the book demonstrates how it can also diversify and upskill the news industry. Further contributions address the challenges, examining how immersive storytelling calls for reassessing issues of journalism ethics and truthfulness, transparency, privacy, manipulation, and surveillance, and questioning what it means to cover reality when a story is told in virtual reality. Chapters are grounded in empirical data such as content analyses and expert interviews alongside insightful case studies that discuss Euronews, Nonny de la Peña’s Project Syria, and The New York Times’ VR application NYTVR. This book is written for journalism teachers, educators, and students as well as scholars, politicians, lawmakers, and citizens with an interest in emerging technologies for media practice

'The Orgy Nex Door: An Exploration of Ethical Relationships in Gay Talese's 'Thy Neighbor's Wife' and 'The Voyeur's Motel'

Gay Talese, credited as the founder of the New Journalism by Tom Wolfe, has long been revered among literary journalists and cited as an exemplar of the long-haul investigation, “the Art of Hanging Around,” where the writer immerses him- or herself into the lives of the subjects. However, in 2016 his reputation and methods came under public scrutiny when media reports revealed that the subject of his new work of immersive journalism, The Voyeur’s Motel, had falsified his testimony. As critics questioned Talese’s suspension of critical judgment, doubt was also cast on his lack of appropriate research methods and clear ethical guidelines. This article explores concerns about theories and methods that literary journalists and ethnographers share as they affect the relationship between the researcher and the subject, the impact of the researcher on the community or individuals studied, and how conflicting loyalties may mitigate against wider ethical considerations. These concerns include a questioning of the limits a literary journalist must place on personal professional behavior, notably sexual experiences or the observation of sexual practices, when using such encounters to provide a vicarious experience for the reader. These issues are investigated through a critical analysis of Talese’s two works that take sexuality as their subject matter, The Voyeur’s Motel (2016) and Thy Neighbor’s Wife (1980). This essay offers insight for contemporary literary journalism in considering the balance between loyalty to the reader and to the investigated subject, the test of genuine public interest and the writer’s personal agenda, and the need for self-awareness

Jurnalisme Imersif dan Partisipasi Publik dalam Industri Media

This article aims to introduce the concept of immersive journalism as a new genre in digital journalism. Hierarchy of influence is used to understand the condition of immersive journalism in the media industry. This article describes the condition of digital journalism in Indonesia and the concept of immersive journalism using the literature review method. The results of the analysis show that the production, distribution, and consumption processes of news are influenced by internal and external media organizations. The public participation opportunity that has been created in digital journalism has the potential to sustain in immersive journalism. The audience can actively participate and have control over narrative construction. A series of challenges in the development of immersive journalism that have been identified include business potential, adaptation of supporting tools, narrative creation, and vulnerability to manipulation. The dilemmatic problems faced by media industry players will be even more complex if they apply immersive journalism: redefining with the audience the limits of participation, narrative framing, objectivity, and sensitive content.ABSTRAK Artikel ini bertujuan untuk memperkenalkan konsep jurnalisme imersif sebagai genre baru dalam jurnalisme digital. Teori hierarki pengaruh digunakan untuk memahami kondisi jurnalisme imersif dalam industri media. Tulisan ini memaparkan kondisi jurnalisme digital di Indonesia dan konsep jurnalisme imersif dengan menggunakan metode kajian literatur. Hasil analisis menunjukkan proses produksi, distribusi, hingga konsumsi berita dipengaruhi oleh internal dan eksternal organisasi media. Ruang partisipasi publik yang telah terbentuk dalam jurnalisme digital, memiliki potensi keberlanjutan dalam jurnalisme imersif ketika khalayak dapat berpartisipasi aktif dan memiliki kendali terhadap konstruksi narasi. Serangkaian tantangan dalam prengembangan jurnalisme imersif yang telah diidentifikasi antara lain potensi bisnis, adaptasi piranti penunjang, pembuatan narasi, dan kerentanan manipulasi. Permasalahan dilematis yang dihadapi pelaku industri media akan semakin kompleks jika menerapkan jurnalisme imersif: merumuskan kembali bersama khalayaknya batasan partisipasi, pembingkaian narasi, objektivitas, serta konten sensitif

Professional Perspectives: placing lived experience at the heart of journalism education

This paper will consider the importance of the blend of theory and practice in journalism education. It posits that in order to be equipped for a lifetime in journalism, students need to operate as reflective practitioners, with a well-­‐‑formed sense of professional and personal identity. Now more than ever, in a post-­‐‑Leveson landscape, they need to know who they are, what they stand for and to have their own individual ‘voice’. Drawing on the example set by the BBC College of Journalism and my own doctoral research, for context, I also use a case study from my own teaching to illustrate the point: Professional Perspectives operates a programme of visiting speakers from industry that provides students with differing perspectives on current and key issues in journalism, such as ethics, original storytelling, impartiality. In the final assignment, students address a key challenge, placing quotes and ideas from the practitioners into a theoretical context supported by wider reading. In addition, they reflect on their own sense of self as a journalist. The paper will conclude that active learning from the lived experiences of others can enhance the lifelong education of journalists, informing their self-­‐‑understanding and encouraging an ethical approach to their craft