Journalim students from the University of Leeds learning crime reporting through VR headsets

In a nutshell:

The University of Leeds is looking to virtual reality (VR) to teach students trauma-informed journalism in a safe setting.

This comes after a successful pilot last semester where first-year students experienced crime reporting through virtual reality. The idea is to give students a taste of working in the industry with the right guardrails in place.

Once students put on the headsets, they see a text from their editor asking them to report a breaking news story of a local drug raid. Students are asked whether they should head straight there, ring the press office or check on social media for updates.

The right answer is to check socials, where they can fact-check and prepare accordingly for a press conference, which they organise second by ringing the mock press office.

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