Covering Extended Reality Technologies in the Media

Book excerpt: This book presents a study of the news coverage of extended reality technologies (virtual, augmented and mixed reality; or XR) and how this news corresponds with the marketing of XR products. Focusing on a group of recently emerging technological products, the book offers in-depth analysis of the news coverage of XR technologies and explores the overlap between news discourse and promotional discourse by comparing the way these products are framed in the news and their marketing materials. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, it discusses the topics covered in XR news, as well as the sources used and the specific framing techniques that appear in both XR news and marketing materials. In addition to these findings, it also provides a set of frame categories that can be used by other researchers analysing the media coverage of emerging technologies. Ultimately arguing that the news represents XR in such a way that treats readers as consumers instead of citizens, prioritising the interests of XR companies rather than news audiences, this book will be of interest to students and researchers in media and communications, discourse studies, journalism, PR and marketing and innovation studies, as well as XR practitioners.