Does Immersive Journalism Erode News Objectivity? Effects of Immersion on Audience Emotional Engagement and Objectivity Perception

Immersive journalism’s potential to foster empathy and engagement has been widely highlighted. However, its impact on the core journalistic norm of objectivity remains critically underexplored. Drawing on a value perception framework, this study examines how immersive news affects enjoyment, alertness, and perceived active objectivity in risk communication. Two between-subjects experiments compared MR-enhanced news with 2D news and high- with low-immersion MR news. Results show that immersion consistently increased enjoyment but reduced alertness. However, the studies did not provide consistent evidence that immersion directly enhances or erodes perceived active objectivity. Instead, more robust pattern emerged through indirect pathways: enjoyment was negatively associated with perceived active objectivity, whereas alertness was positively associated with it. Exploratory moderation analysis further suggests that spatial distance may shape these affective pathways. This study advances a novel value perception framework to digital journalism and demonstrates the interplay effect of immersive strategies and audience characteristics in journalism persuasion.