The top five reasons you’ll see VR in journalism’s future
Virtual reality is a hot commodity lately.
In fact, one could argue that journalists and journalism is swarming towards the medium, eager to use it for their own.
Today we visited with Dan Archer of Empathetic Media, which is a media and technology company that does virtual and augmented reality projects.
Archer, who’s dabbled in everything from cartooning to journalism, talked with us about the technologies involved in virtual and augmented reality and how one of Empathetic’s goals is make understanding connections between storytellers and audiences.
Oh man, was it compelling and awesome to see that kind of technology at work.
So what makes this so cool for journalists?
1. You can incorporate stories.
I don’t think journalists utilize that enough. Yes, VR and augmented reality are still in beta stages at this point, but I think many news organizations that have the man power (and financial power) to tell stories through this medium aren’t doing it.
2. You can design different ways of navigating it.
Sure, you could design a landscape where you’re forced to make certain choices. Or, you could do something like Empathetic media did with its Ferguson Firsthand project and allow viewers to make their own choices in the narrative with the same outcome as the story you’re following.
3. All the information is obtained through good old-fashioned reporting.
It’s nothing new. It’s what you’re taught in journalism school, or maybe in the field as a journalist yourself. It’s the five w’s and the basics of public records requests. It’s good, old-fashioned shoe leather journalism that we need to incorporate into these pieces to make them excel, and that doesn’t require anything much different than the job we’re all performing.
4. Legacy companies have the capability to do this.
They already have the stature and the financial support, all these big and established media companies need to do is take the risk.
5. You’ll attract and engage people in a way you never thought before.
You’ll give firsthand insight into an underrepresented community. You will provide someone across the world with often much-needed visual context. You’ll engage another demographic of the audience that is more visual oriented. You’ll reach people like video gamers, who may not necessarily be reaching out to your products before.
Ultimately, the list goes on and on.
And I’m sure that there are just as many reasons why virtual and augmented reality might demonstrate negative affects. But right now with all the excitement surrounding the medium and the enthusiasm of those working in it, it’s hard to imagine.
