A study on immersive journalism practices, gamification and ludic news reading

Immersive journalism is a form of journalism that actively places readers at the centre of the news by using technologies such as 360-degree imaging, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), and focuses on emotional response and empathy. This study aims to examine the impact of immersive journalism on news comprehensibility and audience, to evaluate its contribution to the news consumption tendencies of young generations and to reveal the potential of this form of journalism to develop as a sustainable specialisation in the profession. The theoretical framework of the study is Gamification and Ludenic news reading theory. In the study, a multiple qualitative research design based on semi-structured interviews and focus group method was used. In this direction, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 academics and 5 journalists selected by criterion sampling technique and a focus group study was conducted with 6 young generation individuals. The findings showed that news prepared with immersive technologies had a stronger and more intense impact on users than traditional news. However, challenges such as accessibility restrictions and high costs prevent this impact from being widely disseminated. It was also found that immersive journalism would not have a positive effect on news comprehensibility. It has been observed that young users are interested in this type of news due to the gamification and entertainment elements of immersive journalism and that this approach can contribute positively to news consumption orientations. However, another important finding is that this situation can be realised by eliminating important obstacles such as technological complexities and ethical concerns. Both academics and journalists have stated that immersive journalism has the potential to shape the future of journalism with its innovative narrative techniques. However, it was revealed at the end of the study that technological advances and training programmes are needed for this approach to become widespread and turn into a sustainable field of expertise.