Uncovering the audience perspective: A qualitative analysis of experiences and evaluations of two immersive journalism productions in the Netherlands

Author(s)

Hannah Greber, Sophie Lecheler, Loes Aaldering, Yael de Haan, Sanne Kruikemeier, Nele Goutier, Kiki de Bruin

Abstract

There has been limited adoption of Immersive Journalism (IJ) by the audience; simultaneously, the audience’s perspective is rarely considered in the production and research of IJ. At this point, however, it is crucial to incorporate an audience perspective to identify potentially unintended effects of IJ and improve on the innovation of IJ. This study investigates the audience’s experience and evaluation of IJ by qualitatively analyzing their thoughts after viewing two IJ cases. Our results indicate that the audience may pick up on intended effects, such as a sense of presence and an intense emotional experience, but some also express unease towards these effects. Furthermore, the audience struggles to comprehend this study’s two immersive journalistic cases as part of the journalistic genre. These findings provide insight into the gap between the initial hype and the current reality of IJ and provide the basis for propositions for future IJ productions.

Organisation(s)

Department of Communication

External organisation(s)

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Journal

Journalism

Volume

25

Pages

2383-2401

No. of pages

19

ISSN

1464-8849

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849231214675

Publication date

2023

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

508018 Reception research, 508005 Journalism

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Communication, Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/uncovering-the-audience-perspective-a-qualitative-analysis-of-experiences-and-evaluations-of-two-immersive-journalism-productions-in-the-netherlands(7f611803-d91e-4e0e-92bd-1aa0a8cd44f1).html