Use of New Narratives for COVID-19 Reporting: From 360º Videos to Ephemeral TikTok Videos in Online Media

Abstract

The disruptive evolution of technology has impacted on all aspects of commu­nication. Consequently, various alterna­tives are being developed for storytelling, delivering messages, and connecting to people. The evolution of social media and mul­timedia technologies is evident. Since 2014, we have witnessed changes both in the concept of immersion over the 360o format and virtual reality. Such changes aim at much closer proximity between user and content, strengthen­ing possible empathic bonds. Even so, emerging audiences, especial­ly Generation Z, spend time in digital environments that do not support this type of content. As a consequence, their interactions and multimedia behavior focus on vertical, ephemeral content, rendering TikTok as an innovative alter­native with a significant growth trend. This study proposes a review of media outlets and journalists’ work report­ing on the COVID-19 pandemic using 360o multimedia narratives and Tik­Tok. Research shows evidence of the limited use of the immersive multime­dia format and the increase of produc­tions in the ephemeral vertical format of TikTok —whose audience reach has grown significantly. Keywords: COVID-19, 360 video, ephemeral video, journalism, Genera­tion Z.