Journalism 360 No. 28: Innovation Hall Of Fame, Preserving Notre Dame, The Healing Power Of AR

By on February 7, 2020

Noteworthy

Honoring innovation. “Godmother of Virtual Reality” Nonny de la Peña, CEO and founder of Emblematic Group and Journalism 360 ambassador, will be honored as the newest inductee to the SXSW Innovation Awards Hall of Fame in recognition of her pioneering work in the immersive field.

Inspiration. Matt MacVey, a specialist at CUNY’s AR/VR Journalism Lab, talked to 23 digital professionals about the immersive non-fiction projects that represented some of the most important work in 2019 — making strides in room scale design, movement in an immersive environment and more.

Preserving a landmark. Viewers can now experience the Notre Dame before and after the 2019 fire that caused serious damage to the cathedral in the new VR documentary, “Rebuilding Notre Dame.” Hear from creators Chloé Rochereuil and Victor Agulhon on making the project.

Changing tides. “Will there ever be a mass consumer market for in-home consumption of 360 video content?” Digital strategist Kim Voynar examines shifts in the immersive industry and where opportunities may be lurking.

Targeting mobile. USA Today has seen significant user engagement since they began publishing AR stories through their mobile app in 2018. “Considering that most of our audiences consume news through mobile devices, for us it just made sense,” said Director of Emerging Technology Raymond Soto.

Neurofeedback. Veterans are using the app Healium AR, designed by longtime journalist and Journalism 360 ambassador Sarah Hill, to manage anxiety and reduce stress.

First draft of history. Visual journalist DJ Clark decided to shoot 360 video of the Hong Kong riots to create an immersive version of the historical record. “Any of the biggest news events of the past have news content showing what it was like,” he said. “This could give you a different experience of what it was like in the middle of it all.”

Look for the next issue of this newsletter on March 6. We always welcome your comments, links and other inputs to future issues. Send tips to karolle@journalists.org.

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