Immersive stories: the effect of inclusion, narrative, and interaction in journalism

Immersive journalism has been one of the most significant genre innovations in journalism during recent years. It is assumed to create feelings of presence and empathy among audiences using 360-degrees videos, virtual reality (VR), and extended reality. Little is known about its actual effects of different elements of immersiveness. Based on recent theoretical work, we hypothesize that immersive stories consist of three different key dimensions—inclusion, narrative, and interaction—which may have distinct effects on feelings of presence and, in turn, empathy. Data collected from three separate experimental studies support these initial expectations. First, we did not find conclusive evidence that inclusion leads to a greater feeling of being present at the scene, which subsequently leads to more empathy. Second, we found that a first-person narrative leads to stronger feelings of empathy for the story being told. Lastly, watching an interactive VR production leads to a greater sense of presence, which subsequently leads to more empathy.