Immersion journalism: 360° video stories from the Tunisian desert | Middle East/North Africa | DW | 18.03.2020
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Middle East/North Africa

Immersion journalism: 360° video stories from the Tunisian desert

New technologies promise exciting journalistic formats. How, then, can 360° video technology be used for storytelling? DW Akademie experimented with this new tech in southern Tunisia.

Mos Espa in the South Tunisian desert, where DW Akademie and partners experimented with 360° video journalism

Mos Espa in the South Tunisian desert, where DW Akademie and partners experimented with 360° video journalism

Somewhere in the middle of the desert, in a secluded region close to the Algerian border, lies the galactic town of "Mos Espa". This spot became famous as a shooting location for the first Star Wars film in 1976. For Abbes Mseddi – director of Radio Diwan in the city of Sfax – and for most of the participants in DW Akademie's pilot module on "Immersive Journalism", this was a new adventure.

"I've never been here before, even though this place is now part of Tunisia's cultural heritage," said Mseddi.

  • Project manager and trainer Manuela Römer explains how to shoot with a 360° camera. Participants initially find this to be a challenge. Videos like these are only possible with a 360° camera and tripod. Smartphones are not suitable for 360° filming but videos can later be edited and exported via an app. (DW/V. Möller-Holtkamp)

    Iconic location, exciting technology: 360° video training in Tunisia

    Camera, tripod, smartphone.

    Project manager and trainer Manuela Römer explains how to shoot with a 360° camera. Participants initially find this to be a challenge. Videos like these are only possible with a 360° camera and tripod. Smartphones are not suitable for 360° filming but videos can later be edited and exported via an app.

  • People only feel immersed in a video or photo if they view it in 360° mode. Filmmakers need a special platform for this, otherwise, the image remains two-dimensional. YouTube and Facebook 360 have tools that make an all-around experience possible. (DW/M. Römer)

    Iconic location, exciting technology: 360° video training in Tunisia

    Playback options: The story's flat without a platform

    People only feel immersed in a video or photo if they view it in 360° mode. Filmmakers need a special platform for this, otherwise, the image remains two-dimensional. YouTube and Facebook 360 have tools that make an "all-around" experience possible.

  • Users need special glasses to truly experience virtual reality (VR). These glasses are available as a DIY kit, as shown here. So high-tech isn't always necessary – anyone can put these glasses together. Still, immersion raises an ethical issue: it can foster a sense of closeness and empathy but can also reduce critical distance. (DW/M. Römer)

    Iconic location, exciting technology: 360° video training in Tunisia

    VR glasses: From high-tech to DIY

    Users need special glasses to truly experience virtual reality (VR). These glasses are available as a DIY kit, as shown here. So high-tech isn't always necessary – anyone can put these glasses together. Still, immersion raises an ethical issue: it can foster a sense of closeness and empathy but can also reduce critical distance.

  • A 360° story is not a collection of individual shots from a front view camera because the plot plays out in all directions. That's why 360° storyboards are created in a circular form. Participants first learn to build these worlds with Lego to get a sense of their filming locations. This is the Lego version of Kebili, a provincial capital on the banks of the dry salt lake, Chott el Djerid. (Mohamed Khadher)

    Iconic location, exciting technology: 360° video training in Tunisia

    Storyboarding for 360°: Going 3D with Lego

    A 360° story is not a collection of individual shots from a front view camera because the plot plays out in all directions. That's why 360° storyboards are created in a circular form. Participants first learn to build these "worlds" with Lego to get a sense of their filming locations. This is the Lego version of Kebili, a provincial capital on the banks of the dry salt lake, Chott el Djerid.

  • 360° videos supposedly show stories from all perspectives but journalists have to remain true to the principles of their craft. Which panoramic view should they show? Who should they interview? Participants do research and prepare interviews while touring an old site in Kebili. (DW/M. Römer)

    Iconic location, exciting technology: 360° video training in Tunisia

    Journalistic principles even in 360°: Researching on location

    360° videos supposedly show stories from all perspectives but journalists have to remain true to the principles of their craft. Which panoramic view should they show? Who should they interview? Participants do research and prepare interviews while touring an old site in Kebili.


360° videos enable people to immerse themselves in places they might never travel to. It offers them an opportunity to "dive" into stories and locations using modern technology. There are many stories to be told in southern Tunisia, including those about the sand that almost swallowed up the film set or the region's developing tourism concepts or the unique desert gourds that are sold at the entrance to the town.

Journalistic content counts

There are numerous examples of how 360° technology is being used in journalism. It has shown life in refugee camps and war zones and has been used in the news, including for the inaugural speech of U.S. President Donald Trump. It has also brought users closer to the artwork of painter August Macke, whose works are now over 100 years old. Although this technology is rapidly developing, in Tunisia it remains a new concept.

DW Akademie's 360° pilot module is offered as part of "Content House", a virtual training institute for journalists currently being established. DW Akademie, together with Tunisian media partners Al Khatt, IFM, Radio Nefzawa, Diwan FM and Université Centrale, has been developing a curriculum with a "blended learning" approach.

DW Akademie | Tunesien | 360°-Video-Training

Content House differs from other training and further education programs for journalists in that it focuses on the practice, production, and publication of journalistic content. It aims to increase the quality of media content so that Tunisia's population can have access to well-researched information presented in an appealing way.

The 360° training includes a webinar on ethical questions that arise with new technology. After an online coaching process, the results will show whether aspects learned could be put into practice.