Journalism And The Metaverse

Journalism has been in a state of disruption since the development of the Internet. The Metaverse, what some describe as the future of the Internet, is likely to fuel even further disruption in journalism. Digital platforms and journalism enterprises are already investing substantial resources into the Metaverse or its likely components of augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.. Although research shows most of the public has little knowledge of the Metaverse, many are keenly interested in what it or its components may bring. Gartner (2022) predicts that a quarter of the public will spend at least one hour per day in the Metaverse by 2026. Journalism may be an important part of this future. This book will provide a critical examination of the implications of the Metaverse for the continuing transformation of journalism in the digital age.

The metaverse seems to be on everybody’s lips – and yet, very few people can actually explain what it means or why it is important. This book aims to fill the gap from an interdisciplinary perspective informed by law and media and communications studies. Going beyond the optimism emanating from technology companies and venture capitalists, the authors critically evaluate the antecedents and the building blocks of the metaverse, the design and regulatory challenges that need to be solved, and commercial opportunities that are yet to be fully realised. While the metaverse is poised to open new possibilities and perspectives, it will also be a dangerous place – one ripe with threats ranging from disinformation to intellectual property theft to sexual harassment. Hence, the book offers a useful guide to the legal and political governance issues ahead while also contextualising them within the broader domain of governance and regulation of digital technologies.

Bringing together theory and practice, this collection critically examines emerging conceptual, methodological and production frameworks for the study of immersive journalism. Having first begun in academia, the practice of virtual reality/360 ̊ video immersive journalism has seen a steep rise in the professional arena in recent years. Uniting contributions from scholars and practitioners at the cutting-edge of this vibrant field, this book provides a summary of the history, development and key debates in immersive journalism and considers issues such as conceptualising and researching immersive journalism, teaching and producing immersive journalism, and situating immersive journalism in a wider theoretical and ethical context. Each chapter introduces readers to the key terms and concepts in that area and provides study questions to help them engage with the text. Encouraging further enquiry and theorisation, and experimental design and production, Insights on Immersive Journalism is an invaluable resource for students and scholars interested in Immersive Journalism and Media.

This book examines the convergence of media in the largest residential virtual community to date in the gaming world: Second Life. This user content-driven platform has brought media makers and audiences together in interactive environments where news, entertainment, and art have become programming for virtual media networks with implications for traditional mainstream programming and distribution. New media moguls are emerging from Second Life and expanding to the larger Metaverse. This book explores media's role in reporting and reflecting the social, political, and economic issues within Second Life and beyond, and includes more than a dozen interviews of active Second Life residents.

This book studies the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism. It traces the origin, growth and development of the media and communication industry in the globalized world and discusses the implications of technologies such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Extended Reality which have helped foster a communication revolution across the globe. The volume discusses technology-centric media theories in the context of AI and examines if AI has been a boon or bane for data journalism. It also looks at artificial intelligence in beat reporting, and citizen journalism, and analyses the social-cultural implications of artificial intelligence driven journalism and the ethical concerns arising from it. An important contribution, this book will be indispensable for students and researchers of media studies, communication studies, journalism, social media, technology studies, and digital humanities. It will also be useful for media professionals.

This book reconsiders media studies from different philosophical and theoretical perspectives from around the world. It brings together diverse views and visions from thinkers such as Sr Aubrobindo, Jurgen Habermas, Paul Ricoeur, Pope Francis, and Satyajit Ray, among others. The authors focus on the issues of ethics, aesthetics, meditation, and communication in relation to media studies and explore the links between media and mindfulness. The volume includes case studies from India, United States, Switzerland, and Denmark and presents empirical works on new horizons of critical media studies in different fields such as American news media and creative media lab. A unique contribution, this book will be indispensable for students and researchers of journalism, communication studies, social media, behavioural sciences, sociology, philosophy, cultural studies, and development studies.

This book presents a comprehensive compilation of the latest research into digital disruption in the media industry. The perspectives are differentiated into innovation triggers in the media industry stemming from the economy, society and technology. In addition, the book highlights selected case studies exploring new media actors and usage, innovation and disruption in media organizations, emerging media platforms and channels, as well as innovative media topics and events. The book is intended for researchers in communication sciences and media research, as well as media practitioners who want to understand the causes and effects of digital transformation in the media industry.

Emerging Practices in the Age of Automated Digital Journalism provides detailed insight into the current state of journalism and its future challenges. The book brings together a global team of authors to review and analyse emerging practices in the automated digital scenario through which journalism is being reshaped, such as novel languages, storytelling forms, and business models. Providing a much-needed review of the field to apprehend the knowledge and experience acquired, the collection also offers an up-to-date overview of digital journalism today, outlining those trends pointing to the future of journalism practice and media in the online sphere. Through a multidisciplinary and international approach, chapters delve into the main technological changes that digital journalism has recently faced, closely related to digital native media, novel storytelling forms, social media, innovation, television broadcasting, new media management structures and procedures, content automation, fact-checking, web analytics, and social audiences. Offering new insights into this fast-developing area, this volume will be an engaging and vital resource for media professionals and researchers in journalism and communication studies, as well as those interested in contemporary journalism practice and communication technology.