Journalism in the Age of Virtual Reality: How Experiential Media Are Transforming News by John V. Pavlik

Author:John V. Pavlik [Pavlik, John V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Language Arts & Disciplines, journalism, social science, Media Studies, Business & Economics, Industries, Media & Communications, Computers, Internet, social media
ISBN: 9780231545518
Google: N2NbDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2019-09-17T20:24:22.764468+00:00

Interactivity

3

2

5

Modalities

3

3

4

Social Media

7

2

1

Data Visuals

4

3

3

Context

2

5

3

N = 10

The modes of communication are diverse, and several productions make use of at least eight modes of expression. The modes utilized include audio in the form of spoken words, music, environmental sounds, photographs, artist-rendered graphics, data-driven visualizations, video, animation, immersive video, and location-based media. None of the I-Docs employ emerging modalities such as drone-captured video or other data collected via multispectral sensors that might provide aerial or other, broader perspectives or tactile engagement.

Some journalists contend that stories in journalism should avoid the use of music, with the possible exception of during transitions between segments or at the end or beginning of a news report, as T. Sean Herbert, producer at CBS News, told those assembled at the Quality Journalism in the Digital Age conference on April 10, 2015, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, organized as part of the Journalism and Public Interest initiative directed by Phil Napoli (then professor at Rutgers but now at Duke).31 “Never use music in journalism,” Herbert stated. Music, he argued, can build suspense or manipulate emotion and detracts from authenticity. It is an interesting argument, but there is little research to date to confirm whether it is true. Studies in neuroscience do document that “music activates emotional centers in the brain.”32 Exactly which types of music influence which centers and emotions is still under investigation, Hollywood notwithstanding.

It is perhaps conventional wisdom in established journalism to not use music, but there are notable exceptions, including several of the I-Docs studied here. Moreover, the highly acclaimed podcast Serial makes effective use of subtle musical elements. Yes, the music seems to tap into emotions, but it does not seem to detract from authenticity or believability in the message. The music certainly did not diminish audience interest in Serial, as the 175 million downloads suggest.33 Featuring a quickly recognizable piano arrangement, Serial’s music is from an original score by Mark Henry Phillips and Nick Thorburn.34 It may raise the larger issue of whether stories such as Serial are, in fact, journalism.

Joyce Barnathan, president of the International Center for Journalists, a nonprofit based in Washington, DC, and a veteran journalist, argues in the Columbia Journalism Review that Serial is journalism, and that its transparency is the key.35 “What [Sarah] Koenig does that we (journalists) don’t normally do is share our thoughts and views as we research a story,” Barnathan writes. “Normally we do all that work before publishing. We give our audience the most intelligent assessment we can. We go through the same hard work of interviewing and researching as Koenig—and we suffer through the same anxieties and soul searching. The difference is, we never make that work public. She breaks new ground because she makes journalism more transparent—and in my view, adds tremendous credibility to our field.”

Transparency of Serial’s reporting and story-telling process allows others to critically examine its methods and rigor, its fundamentals. Perhaps journalists should not use music in breaking news stories unless it is from a source and directly part of the

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