With this book we wanted to provide a comprehensive overview of immersive
technologies in journalism at the turn of the 2020s. Immersive journalism is still in
its infancy and it is so far uncertain in what ways and to what extent the immersive approach will expand in the years to come. As journalism scholars we believe
that an important aspect of journalism research is to critically, constructively, and
creatively investigate the potential implications of emergent technologies in journalism, even before they are widely adopted in societies. Thus, the volume builds on international research projects that started in 2016 and also integrates the latest research results by other scholars in the field.
Immersive journalism relates closely to the mobile expansion in global
society. It is based on the premise of ubiquitous smartphones and is marketed as
the new game-changer in the communication and media industry. Major news
organizations around the world are experimenting with new opportunities for virtual presence and engagement among users – from daily 360-degree news videos
to award-winning short VR documentaries. Immersive journalism is often called an
“empathy machine” as well. Its audiovisual narratives have proved to be extremely
effective in causing strong emotions among its users