The effectiveness of immersive models of communication and information structure linked to social engagement. An Al Jazeera Contrast case study
Abstract
The mechanisms that make immersive storytelling possible are the focus of this study. Based on immersive models of communication and information structure, which propose a reformulation of traditional communicative parameters, we analyse their application to projects developed by the innovation laboratory Al Jazeera Contrast, which for years has been strongly committed to the use of these technologies in the field of immersive journalism. Using the methodological technique of content analysis, the aim is to verify the communicative effectiveness (communication model and immersive structure) of the object of study and its relationship with the variables of social engagement. The results of this research confirm the validity of the proposed immersive models and highlight the changes introduced by this type of narration, which especially affect the “when” and “where” of the information. The discussion focuses on the differences in degree of social engagement of these immersive pieces, leading to a new discussion on the ethnographic approach that could be applied to this type of production.
Keywords
immersive journalism, VR, 360º video, social engagement, communication model, immersive storytellingReferences
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