Collaborative and Experimental Cultures in Virtual Reality Journalism: From the Perspective of Content Creators

Authors: Radwa Mabrook

Abstract:

Virtual Reality (VR) content creation is a complex and an expensive process, which requires multi-disciplinary teams of content creators. Grant schemes from technology companies help media organisations to explore the VR potential in journalism and factual storytelling. Media organisations try to do as much as they can in-house, but they may outsource due to time constraints and skill availability. Journalists, game developers, sound designers and creative artists work together and bring in new cultures of work. This study explores the collaborative experimental nature of VR content creation, through tracing every actor involved in the process and examining their perceptions of the VR work. The study builds on Actor Network Theory (ANT), which decomposes phenomena into their basic elements and traces the interrelations among them. Therefore, the researcher conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with VR content creators between November 2017 and April 2018. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques allowed the researcher to recruit fact-based VR content creators from production studios and media organisations, as well as freelancers. Interviews lasted up to three hours, and they were a mix of Skype calls and in-person interviews. Participants consented for their interviews to be recorded, and for their names to be revealed in the study. The researcher coded interviews’ transcripts in Nvivo software, looking for key themes that correspond with the research questions. The study revealed that VR content creators must be adaptive to change, open to learn and comfortable with mistakes. The VR content creation process is very iterative because VR has no established work flow or visual grammar. Multi-disciplinary VR team members often speak different languages making it hard to communicate. However, adaptive content creators perceive VR work as a fun experience and an opportunity to learn. The traditional sense of competition and the strive for information exclusivity are now replaced by a strong drive for knowledge sharing. VR content creators are open to share their methods of work and their experiences. They target to build a collaborative network that aims to harness VR technology for journalism and factual storytelling. Indeed, VR is instilling collaborative and experimental cultures in journalism.

Keywords: Collaborative culture, content creation, experimental culture, virtual reality.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2702733

References:

[1] S. Dredge, “Facebook Closes its $2bn Oculus Rift Acquisition. What Next?” The Guardian, July 22, 2014, from: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/22/facebook-oculus-rift-acquisition-virtual-reality.
[2] R. Somaiya, “The Times Partners with Google on Virtual Reality Project,” The New York Times, October 20, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/21/business/media/the-times-partners-with-google-on-virtual-reality-project.html?_r=0.
[3] K. Anderson, Beyond the Article: Frontiers of Editorial and Commercial Innovation. London: Reuters institute for the Study of Journalism in Oxford University, 2017 https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Beyond%20the%20Article%20-%20Frontiers%20of%20Editorial%20and%20Commercial%20Innovation.pdf.
[4] “Aardman and BBC R&D Launch VR Experience 'We Wait’,” Aardman, accessed July 18, 2017, http://www.aardman.com/aardman-and-bbc-rd-launch-interactive-vr-experience-we-wait/.
[5] Z. Watson, Virtual Reality for News: The News Reality. London: Reuters institute for the study of journalism in Oxford University, 2017, http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/VR%20for%20news%20-%20the%20new%20reality_0.pdf.
[6] L, Küng. Innovators in Digital News. London: I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd in association with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford, 2015, pp. 91-109.
[7] Z. Watson, Virtual Reality for News: The News Reality. London: Reuters institute for the study of journalism in Oxford University, 2017, http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/VR%20for%20news%20-%20the%20new%20reality_0.pdf.
[8] R. Aronson-Rath, J. Milward, T. Owen, and F. Pitt, Virtual Reality Journalism. New York: Tow Center for digital journalism in Columbia Journalism School, 2015, https://towcenter.gitbooks.io/virtual-reality-journalism/content/.
[9] P. Gade, and E. Raviola, “Integration of News and News of Integration: A Structural Perspective on News Media Changes,” Journal of Media Business Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 87-111, 2009.
[10] S. Quinn, and D. Quinn-Allan, The World-Wide Spread of Journalism Convergence. Refereed paper presented at the Journalism Education Conference, Australia, Griffith University, 2005. http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30005866/quinn-worldwidespread-2005.pdf.
[11] P. Gade, and E. Raviola, “Integration of News and News of Integration: A Structural Perspective on News Media Changes,” Journal of Media Business Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 87-111, 2009.
[12] P. Gade, and E. Perry, “Changing the Newsroom Culture: A Four-Year Case Study of Organizational Development at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,” Journalism and mass communication quarterly, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 327-347, 2003.
[13] M. Deuze “Epilogue: Towards a Sociology of Online News” In Making Online News: The Ethnography of New Media Production, vol .1, C. Paterson, and D. Domingo, Ed. New York: Peter Lang, 2008, pp. 199 -213.
[14] S. Paulussen, D. Geens, and K. Vandenbrande, “Fostering a Culture of Collaboration: Organizational Challenges of Newsroom Innovations,” In Making Online News: Newsroom Ethnography in the Second Decade of Internet Journalism, vol.2, D. Domingo, and C. Paterson, Ed. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 2011, pp. 3-14.
[15] P. Boczkowski, Digitizing the News: Innovation in Online Newspapers, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2014, pp. 171-188.
[16] P. Gade, and E. Raviola, “Integration of News and News of Integration: A Structural Perspective on News Media Changes,” Journal of Media Business Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 87-111, 2009.
[17] P. Gade, and E. Perry, “Changing the Newsroom Culture: A Four-Year Case Study of Organizational Development at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,” Journalism and mass communication quarterly, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 327-347, 2003.
[18] L. Küng. Innovators in Digital News. London: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd in association with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford, 2015, pp. 91-109.
[19] T. Hanitzsch, “Deconstructing Journalism Culture: Towards a Universal Theory,” Communication Theory, vol. 17, pp. 367-386, 2007.
[20] S. Ward, “The Magical Concept of Transparency”. In Ethics for Digital Journalists: Emerging Best Practices, D. Craig, and L. Zion, Eds, New York: Routledge, pp. 45-58. New York: Routledge, 2015, pp. 45-58.
[21] T. Vos and J. Singer, "Media Discourse About Entrepreneurial Journalism: Implications for journalistic capital," Journalism Practice, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 143 – 159, 2016.
[22] A. Wagemans, T. Witschge, and M. Deuze, “Ideology as Resource in Entrepreneurial Journalism.” Journalism Practice, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 160 – 177, 2016.
[23] A. Hunter, “Crowdfunding Independent and Freelance Journalism: Negotiating Journalistic Norms of Autonomy and Objectivity,” New Media and Society, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 272 – 288, 2015.
[24] S. Ward, “The Magical Concept of Transparency”. In Ethics for Digital Journalists: Emerging Best Practices, D. Craig, and L. Zion, Eds, New York: Routledge, pp. 45-58. New York: Routledge, 2015, pp. 45 – 58.
[25] S. Ward, 45 – 58.
[26] A. Hunter, “Crowdfunding Independent and Freelance Journalism: Negotiating Journalistic Norms of Autonomy and Objectivity,” New Media and Society, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 272 – 288, 2015.
[27] J. Ruotsalainen, and M. Villi, “Hybrid Engagement: Discourses and Scenarios of Entrepreneurial Journalism.” Media and Communication. Vol, 6, no. 4, pp. 79 – 90, 2018.
[28] J. Nicey, “Between Reactivity and Reactivation: User Generated News Photo Agencies, New Practices and Traditional Processes,” In Media Innovations: A Multidisciplinary Study of Change, T. Strorsul, and A. Krumsvik, Ed. Göteborg: Nordicom, 2013, pp. 207- 217.
[29] T. Witschge, and G. Nygren, “Journalistic Work: A Profession Under Pressure?” Journal of Media Business Studies, vol. 6, no. 1, pp.37-59, 2009.
[30] C. Nielsen, “Newspaper Journalists Support Online Comments.” Newspaper Research Journal. Vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 86 -100, 2012.
[31] B. Kovach, and T. Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and What the Public Should Expect. 3rd ed. New York: Thirty Rivers Press, 2014.
[32] S. Duenes, E. Kissane, A. Kueneman, J. Myint, G. Roberts, and C. Spangler, “How We Made Snow Fall: Q & A with The New York Team,” Source, January 1, 2013. https://source.opennews.org/en-US/articles/how-we-made-snow-fall/.
[33] N. Usher, Interactive Journalism: Hackers, Data, and Code. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2016.
[34] A. Gynnild, “Journalism Innovation Leads to Innovation Journalism: The Impact of Computational Exploration on Changing Mindsets,” Journalism, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 713 –730, 2014.
[35] Quealy, K. and Tse, A. “Is It Better to Buy or Rent?” The New York Times, May 21, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/business/buy-rent-calculator.php.
[36] S. Lewis, and N. Usher, “Code, Collaboration, and the Future of Journalism,” Digital Journalism, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 383 – 393, 2014.
[37] N. Usher, Interactive Journalism: Hackers, Data, and Code. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2016.
[38] S. Lewis, and N. Usher, “Code, Collaboration, and the Future of Journalism,” Digital Journalism, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 383 – 393, 2014.
[39] R. Somaiya, “The Times Partners With Google on Virtual Reality Project,” The New York Times, October 20, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/21/business/media/the-times-partners-with-google-on-virtual-reality-project.html?_r=0.
[40] J. Davies, “Game on: Financial Times Makes its VR Debut for Rio Olympics,” Digiday, August 5, 2016, http://digiday.com/publishers/game-financial-times-makes-vr-debut-rio-olympics/.
[41] GNM press office, Guardian Launches New Virtual Reality Experience Limbo Focused on Experiences of Asylum Seekers. Press release, July 5, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-office/2017/jul/05/guardian-launches-new-virtual-reality-experience-limbo-focused-on-experiences-of-asylum-seekers.
[42] K. Anderson, Beyond the Article: Frontiers of Editorial and Commercial Innovation. London: Reuters institute for the Study of Journalism in Oxford University, 2017. .https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Beyond%20the%20Article%20-%20Frontiers%20of%20Editorial%20and%20Commercial%20Innovation.pdf
[43] T. Man, “Who won Google’s Digital News Initiative? A little online-research on the first round of DNI,” Weblog, March 2, 2016, https://medium.com/@twone2/who-won-google-s-digital-news-initiative-7035fbad4159.
[44] J. Mizgata, “Journalism 360 Challenge awards $285,000 to 11 projects that advance the use of immersive storytelling in news,” Online News Association (ONA), July 11, 2017, https://journalists.org/2017/07/11/journalism-360-challenge-awards-285000-11-projects-advance-use-immersive-storytelling-news/ (Accessed 2nd January 2019).
[45] Journalism 360, “Introducing Journalism 360⁰: An Immersive News Initiative,” Weblog. September 15, 2016, https://medium.com/journalism360⁰/introducing-journalism-360⁰-d58b9e72e2e.
[46] M. Willens, “One year in: What The New York Times learned from its 360-degree video project The Daily 360,” Digiday, November 14, 2017, https://digiday.com/media/one-year-new-york-times-learned-360-degree-video-project-daily-360/.
[47] M. Willens.
[48] J. Lee, “How We Are Democratising 360 Video,” Weblog, October 27, 2017, https://medium.com/contrastvr/how-we-are-democratising-360-video-b1790fec2b99.
[49] Z. Watson, Virtual Reality for News: The News Reality. London: Reuters institute for the study of journalism in Oxford University, 2017, http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/VR%20for%20news%20-%20the%20new%20reality_0.pdf.
[50] C. Porlezza, and S. Splendore, “Accountability and Transparency of Entrepreneurial Journalism.” Journalism Practice, vol. 10, no.2, pp. 196-216, 2016.
[51] CNN press room, “CNN and Volvo Present the Solar Eclipse in an Unprecedented 360° Virtual Reality Live-Stream,” CNN press release, August 14, 2017, http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2017/08/14/cnn-volvo-solar-eclipse-360-virtual-reality-vr-live-stream/.
[52] M. Bosworth, and L. Sarah, Crafting Stories for Virtual Reality. New York: Routledge, 2019.
[53] Z. Watson, Virtual Reality for News: The News Reality. London: Reuters institute for the study of journalism in Oxford University, 2017, http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/VR%20for%20news%20-%20the%20new%20reality_0.pdf.
[54] C. Gomes, “Distributing VR/360 content to the masses: A case study in India,” Weblog, September 6, 2017, https://medium.com/journalism360/distributing-vr360-content-to-the-masses-a-case-study-in-india-3ff769ee3e8c.
[55] R. Aronson-Rath, J. Milward, T. Owen, and F. Pitt, para. 49.
[56] M. Bosworth, and L. Sarah, Crafting Stories for Virtual Reality. New York: Routledge, 2019, p. 197.
[57] M. Ciobanu, “NBC News is Experimenting with Live Virtual Reality to Cover News Events,” Journalism.co.uk, November 16, 2016, https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/nbc-news-is-experimenting-with-live-virtual-reality-to-cover-news-events/s2/a692353/.
[58] R. Aronson-Rath, J. Milward, T. Owen, and F. Pitt, Virtual Reality Journalism. New York: Tow Center for digital journalism in Columbia Journalism School, 2015, https://towcenter.gitbooks.io/virtual-reality-journalism/content/.
[59] F. Muniesa, “Actor-Network Theory,” In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. J. Wright, Ed., 2nd ed. Vol. 1., Elsevier Ltd. 2015, pp. 80 – 84.
[60] B. Latour, Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
[61] J. Law, “Actor-Network Theory and Material Semiotics,” In The New Blackwell Companion to Social theory. B. Turner, Ed.  3rd ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2008, pp. 141-158.
[62] Hebert, L. Dispositifs pour l’analyse des textes et des images. Introduction à la sémiotique appliquée. (Tools for Text and Image Analysis: An Introduction to Applied Semiotics). Limoges: Limoges University Press, 2007.
[63] E. Sayes, “Actor–Network Theory and Methodology: Just What Does it Mean to Say That Nonhumans Have Agency?” Social Studies of Science. Vol.44, no. 1, pp. 134 –149, 2014.
[64] B. Latour, Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
[65] B. Latour, p. 72.
[66] R. Nimmo, “Actor-Network Theory and Methodology: Social Research in a More-Than-Human World,” Methodological Innovations Online, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 108 – 119, 2011.
[67] B. Latour, Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
[68] J. Law, “Actor-Network Theory and Material Semiotics,” In The New Blackwell Companion to Social theory. B. Turner, Ed.  3rd ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2008, pp. 141-158.
[69] A. Primo, and G. Zago, “Who and What Do Journalism?” Digital Journalism, vol. 3, no. 1, pp.38 – 52, 2015.
[70] S. Lewis, and O. Westlund, “Actors, Actants, Audiences, and Activities in Cross-Media News Work,” Digital Journalism, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 19 - 37, 2015.
[71] M. Deuze “Epilogue: Towards a Sociology of Online News” In Making Online News: The Ethnography of New Media Production, vol. 1, C. Paterson, and D. Domingo, Ed. New York: Peter Lang, 2008, pp. 199 -213.
[72] S. Lewis, and O. Westlund, “Actors, Actants, Audiences, and Activities in Cross-Media News Work,” Digital Journalism, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 19 - 37, 2015.
[73] D. Domingo, P. Masip, and I. Meijer, “Tracing Digital News Networks,” Digital Journalism, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 53 – 67, 2015.