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I’ve gained valuable skills in media and storytelling as a student at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, one of the nation’s top journalism schools. I can’t help but feel, though, that my education is limited by a lack of exposure to emerging technologies.

The media industry is evolving rapidly, and virtual reality is now an essential tool in journalism, advertising and storytelling. Newhouse has yet to fully take advantage of this shift. Without hands-on experience in VR, I worry that my peers and I will graduate without the skills needed to stay competitive in an industry demanding innovation.

Newhouse must integrate VR into its curriculum to thoroughly prepare students for the digitalized future of media. With major outlets like The New York Times and Huffington Post embracing immersive storytelling, Newhouse has the indispensable opportunity to equip its students with cutting-edge tools alongside advanced ethics education that will redefine news reporting.

As the media landscape increasingly prioritizes digital and interactive content, VR is no longer an experimental novelty but a crucial medium for engaging audiences in meaningful ways.

One of the most exciting and practical uses of VR is in remote journalism. Media professionals are already using VR to transport audiences to places they may never visit, allowing them to experience events as if they were truly there. Journalists can create immersive reports from conflict zones, natural disaster sites or far-away cultural events, providing a global understanding that traditional reporting methods can’t match.

Some news organizations have even begun experimenting with 360-degree video and virtual reality documentaries, offering viewers a more engaging and empathetic perspective on global issues.

This technology expands storytelling capabilities, enabling journalists to cover remote or previously inaccessible locations, breaking down barriers to information and cultural exchange and making global reporting more accessible than ever.

Political literacy and global awareness are no longer optional — they are essential skills for any media professional. Instead of simply reading about a refugee crisis or political unrest, students can virtually step into these environments and develop a deeper, more empathetic understanding of the realities people face worldwide while vastly increasing geopolitical literacy.

Dakota Dorsey | Design Editor

Newhouse must integrate VR into existing courses like COM 107: Visual Communications and COM 117: Multimedia Storytelling, where students already learn the fundamentals of visual storytelling. By incorporating 360-degree video production and immersive reporting techniques into these classes, students will gain hands-on experience that aligns with industry demands.

Newhouse does have one valuable resource bridging this gap right now in the Extended Reality Lab, but the school should integrate more like it. The ERL facility offers students access to cutting-edge VR, augmented reality and mixed reality technology, providing interested students the tools necessary to experiment with immersive storytelling.

But VR isn’t a required part of Newhouse’s curriculum, and thus, students aren’t fully aware of this lab or able to realize its potential benefits in digital skill advancement.

If VR coursework was mandated, more students would be familiar with the positive potential impacts of this industry. This could further lead to higher engagement with the existing lab and the creation of more innovative projects from Newhouse.

Encouraging students to take advantage of this resource now is crucial, not only to develop practical skills but also to ensure Newhouse continues its future-minded proficiency in media innovation.

Newhouse must ensure students are trained to navigate these challenges responsibly, upholding privacy standards and avoiding the exploitation of subjects. Ethical VR storytelling should prioritize accuracy, transparency and audience awareness, preparing students for the interpersonal nuances of immersed reporting.

Immersive storytelling has the ability to invoke deep emotional and psychological responses in audiences, which is why the misuse of VR can heighten the risk of misrepresentation and bias. Feeling so personally connected to a story can elicit a response that isn’t entirely grounded in facts. This makes the proper understanding of these tools hold utmost importance.

Journalists must ensure accuracy, avoid sensationalism and provide proper context to prevent misinformation. Consent and privacy are also major concerns; people captured in 360-degree video may not fully grasp how their likeness and actions will be used, among other ethical issues that could arise.

Given these factors, VR journalism demands stricter ethical scrutiny than traditional reporting, which needs more intense educational programs itself. Newsrooms and journalism schools alike must establish clear curriculum frameworks to ensure immersive storytelling informs rather than exploits.

As VR technology becomes more accessible, it’s imperative that Newhouse leads the charge in integrating immersive journalism into its required coursework. By adopting VR, the school will ensure its graduates are equipped with the innovative storytelling skills needed to thrive in an evolving multimedia industry.

Autumn Clarke is a freshman majoring in broadcast and digital journalism. She can be reached at auclarke@syr.edu.

Published on March 2, 2025 at 11:50 pm