CNN has announced the launch of a new immersive journalism unit called CNNVR that will produce stories and videos in virtual reality.
The network has experimented with VR for years, producing more than 50 news stories in 360-degree video. In 2015, It also teamed up with VR broadcaster NextVR to live stream the full Democratic presidential debate in 2015.
According to Variety, CNN has been experimenting with 360 video over the past few months, mostly uploading VR clips on Facebook 360. One report took viewers into Aleppo, Syria. the clip garnered more than five million views.
The magazine also reported that the network has been training correspondents in cities such as New York, London, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Dubai, Johannesburg, Tokyo, and Beijing to produce these reports.
CNN published a 360 video story on Tuesday featuring the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, which viewers can rotate the camera 360 degrees to look anywhere they like. In then next few days, CNN will going to use the medium to take viewers into an operating room to visit the separation of conjoined twins, as well as onto a glacier. “We are trying to give you access to places that are incredibly rare,” Farkas said.
CNNVR’s videos are available on PC (Chrome or Firefox), the CNN app on iOS and Android, Samsung GearVR, Oculus Rift and Google Daydream.
READ MORE: Variety
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