Restarting virtual reality in journalism? A quantitative analysis of problems and potentials of selected immersive apps as perceived by their users

Abstract

Since its emergence in the 1960s, virtual reality (VR) has generated significant enthusiasm among researchers and practitioners, as well as technology and media companies. In journalistic practice, however, VR has so far only been able to compete to a limited extent. This paper first establishes the status quo of VR apps in the journalistic field as found in the Oculus Store, and then analyses the user comments (N = 770) of 15 VR apps produced by journalistic media outlets to evaluate their perceptions in terms of the constructs of immersion, emotion, usability, and utility. Results show that users positively highlight VR’s capacities to elicit immersion and emotion, while technological aspects of usability and utility are often assessed negatively. Additionally, positive emotional and immersive reactions in VR are possible despite flaws in technology, and a positive immersion is also associated with a positive emotional VR experience. Derivations for a potential restart of VR apps in journalism are drawn.

Jornalismo Audiovisual Em 360°

“…We do, however, believe that it still has untapped potential in journalism (Damas & Gracia, 2022) and the decline in its use that we are currently experiencing "[...] does not indicate the end of the format, but perhaps a conditioning for a resurgence" (Silva, 2021, p. 2, our translation). Thus, VR technology has become more accessible, and easier to handle and apply, already having parameters from previous experiences that contribute to more efficient and conscious use of devices (Seibert et al, 2022). Virtual reality is far from being the great savior of journalism, but it may be able to help point the way.…”

“…we understand it to be a multifactorial perception; it is a psychological effect on the user, who experiences the sensation of being present in a virtual environment in which they know, consciously, that they are not physically present in. Scholars claim that the sense of presence is strongly propelled by devices that provide greater immersion but is also influenced by narrative techniques (Pérez-Seijo et al, 2023;Seibert et al, 2022). Research shows that a sense of presence is a central component of narratives built for virtual reality (Aronson-Rath et al, 2015;Rose, 2018).…”