Metaverse journalism: The potential and challenges of virtual journalism

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• August 31, 2022

Insight summary

The metaverse can redefine journalism by introducing immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR), offering new ways for journalists to tell stories and interact with audiences. Challenges, such as the cost of AI technologies and the limited adoption of VR headsets, pose hurdles to the widespread use of metaverse journalism. Metaverse journalism can lead to changes in media consumption, privacy concerns, and job market shifts.

Metaverse journalism context

When most people think about the metaverse, they think about VR. And while VR is a large part of the digital space, it's not the only aspect. The metaverse is home to a wide variety of digital experiences, including AR, mixed reality (MR), and artificial intelligence (AI). These technologies are crucial for journalists as they provide new ways to tell stories and engage with audiences.

Metaverse journalism refers to the act of reporting news in VR environments. It can be seen as an evolution of traditional journalism, allowing reporters to provide more immersive and engaging stories and experiences for their audience. Several news organizations have experimented with journalism and VR as early as 2015, with The New York Times collaborating with Google to distribute cardboard VR views to its subscribers.

Metaverse journalism allows reporters to conduct interviews in a virtual space for the reporter, the interviewee, and the audience. In addition, the metaverse offers a space for users to interact with digital avatars they could not speak with in real life. This medium also allows the audience to view related images and experiences of current events, such as watching real-time footage and developments.

Disruptive impact

The metaverse is expanding, and some publishers and journalists are pivoting to take advantage of its opportunities. For example, as of 2022, Vice's news organization developed a new office in the metaverse to focus on VR journalism. The Vice headquarters was set up in Blockchain-based Decentraland, which also serves as the global team meeting point to discuss collaboration, briefings, and virtual project demonstrations. Vice is also using the online space to conduct digital field research about the sociology of digital communities. 

Yet, not all news organizations are quick to invest in digital platforms. Because AI technologies are costly to develop, many businesses are hesitant to adopt them. Additionally, news organizations require more use cases and company cases for AI that emerge from journalistic thinking and need.

Meanwhile, metaverse journalism’s early incarnations have featured some limitations. A significant challenge is that metaverse journalism lacks scalability. This virtual journalism relies on VR headsets and additional personal technological devices. Virtual reality headsets are not widely adopted, so most people cannot easily access content created in VR. Another issue is that many people find VR experiences uncomfortable and nausea-inducing, potentially limiting the appeal of accessing digital content. 

Implications of metaverse journalism

Wider implications of metaverse journalism may include: 

• Increased subscriptions to metaverse news outlets, with readers using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to promote articles or acquire ownership of editorial content, enhancing engagement and monetization strategies.


• Blockchain technology being employed for fact-checking, ensuring the accuracy and credibility of news content disseminated within the metaverse.


• Industries and governments formulating specific regulations for metaverse journalism, addressing unique challenges like virtual reality defamation and libel, shaping legal frameworks for new media.


• News and content in the metaverse being tailored to individual preferences and activities, leading to highly personalized media experiences and potentially altering media consumption habits.


• Companies expanding their presence into the metaverse, developing virtual offices or counterparts, fundamentally transforming traditional business operations and workplace environments.


• Enhanced immersive advertising opportunities in the metaverse, allowing businesses to create more engaging and interactive marketing campaigns, potentially increasing consumer engagement and sales.


• Shift in job market demands, with an increase in specialized roles for metaverse content creation and management, driving new employment opportunities and skill development needs.


• Potential privacy concerns as personal data from metaverse interactions becomes a valuable asset for businesses, leading to stringent data protection policies and consumer awareness initiatives.


• Governments leveraging metaverse platforms for public services and civic engagement, potentially increasing accessibility and efficiency in government-citizen interactions.


• Environmental impacts due to the increased energy consumption and electronic waste associated with the growing infrastructure of the metaverse, prompting sustainability initiatives in technology development.

Questions to consider

• How would you prefer to consume metaverse journalism? Are there specific topics you would be interested in experiencing?


• What are other possible challenges in experiencing or consuming news in the metaverse?