Three-hundred-and-sixty-degree videos are an innovative video format, and due to various narrative and technical aspects, they allow audiences to be deeply immersed in their content. Through an explorative, qualitative content analysis (and parts of narrative analysis) aspects of immersion were explored in various 360-degree videos. Our results give an overview of multiple immersive factors in 360-degree storytelling and the interplay of narrative and technical aspects of immersion. Technical immersion manifests through cues to direct the viewer's attention and cues to acknowledge the viewer as a part of the virtual environment. Narrative immersion, on the other hand, is influenced by the setting, as well as by the interplay of story, characters, and viewer integration. Our findings also indicate that narrative and technical aspects support each other to strengthen immersion.

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The market for adult computer gamers is growing considerably. However, there are nearly no empirical works that are primarily focusing this age group. Therefore, there is an urgent need for explorative studies on these gamers. In a qualitative in-depth interview study with 21 gamers aged between 35 and 73 years, this article describes their gaming careers, the integration of gaming into their everyday life, and aspects of social interaction within real and virtual life. Overall, the findings of this study sketch a lively picture of adult players. Many of the interviewees show a very strong interest in the social aspects of gaming. However, gaming can put some strain on their family life, and many older gamers feel that their partners and peers regard their hobby as being inappropriate for their age. Still, most of the interview partners successfully manage to combine occupational and private duties with their gaming activities.

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Zusammenfassung: Vielfach wird in der aktuellen Diskussion postuliert, dass der partizipative Journalismus im Internet eine Plattform für gesellschaftskritische Gegenöffentlichkeit darstelle. Der vorliegende Beitrag leistet einen ersten Beitrag zur Überprüfung dieser These, indem er das Zusammenspiel zwischen Foren der Gegenöffentlichkeit und partizipativem Journalismus empirisch auf drei Ebenen analysiert (Beitragselemente und Beiträge in professionellen Medienformaten sowie partizipative Medienformate). Auf jeder Ebene werden hervorstechende Vertreter ausgewählt, um explorativ einen Überblick über die verschiedenen Foren der Gegenöffentlichkeit zu bieten. In den Fallbeispielen lassen sich durchaus Ansätze von Gegenöffentlichkeit zeigenz. B. anhand von inhaltlicher Gegenthematisierung, gesellschaftlicher Mobilisierung, medialen Partizipationsmöglichkeiten sowie kollaborativer Kommunikationspraxis besonders auf der Ebene der partizipativen Medienformate. Allerdings sind bei Qualität und Reichweite der durch partizipativen Journalismus konstituierten Gegenöffentlichkeit(en) markante Unterschiede festzustellen.Abstract: There have been many claims in research literature that participatory journalism constitutes a forum for counter-public spheres. This article attempts to test this hypothesis by analysing empirically the relationship between counter-public spheres and participatory journalism on participatory media). On each level, prominent cases of participatory media are selected in order to give an overview of the different forums of counter-public spheres. Many forms of counterpublic spheres can be found. Indicators are counter-agenda setting, social mobilising, media participation, and collaborative communication. However, there are marked differences in terms of quality and audience reach of the counter-public spheres analysed.