The new ethical thinking in CGI immersive journalism

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) journalism has become one of the popular formats of journalism, where people experience presence, empathy, and immersion through VR technology in digital environments. Although the term ‘virtual’ may appear to be the opposite of ‘real,’ the boundary between virtuality and reality has become blurred due to the virtual embodiment being part of reality for participants. As VR and real virtuality converge, little is known about the ethical issues in producing computer-generated imagery (CGI) immersive journalism and the viewers’ responses to CGI VR news reporting. Our study applied a concurrent mixed-method approach, including in-depth interviews with eight CGI professionals from the U.K. and a quantitative survey in Taiwan, to understand the production issues, ethical concerns, and audience perceptions toward CGI immersive journalism. Results from the interviews suggested that digital journalists need to rethink their ethical codes, particularly the representation of truth while producing news stories using CGI images and VR. Findings from the post-test survey showed that both immersive presence and interactivity in VR news resulted in a greater formation of believing and motivations to take action regarding the topic presented in the VR news.