The Effect of Interactivity in Immersive Journalism on Participating In the Media and Through the Media

Abstract

This study aims to disentangle how exactly immersive journalism (IJ) relates to a spectrum of democratically relevant engaging outcomes. To do so, I consider a potentially engaging dimension of IJ: interactivity and a resulting “sense of agency.” In a pre-registered laboratory experiment ( N = 150), I test the effect of exposure to IJ productions that vary in their range of interactivity on a spectrum of participatory intentions and behaviors. Results indicate that a medium level—but not a high level—of interactivity in IJ enhances participation in, but not participation through, journalism. In addition, presence, rather than agency, facilitates participative intentions.