Ten years ago – 10 TEN YEARS!! 🤯 – Kaitlyn Mullin wrote in Nieman Journalism Lab about JOVRNALISM™’s first large project collaboration Hell and High Water VR published by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune.

In the Spring 2016, then students Ariba A., Jason Cheng, Crystal M. Goss, Cristian Guzman, Melody Jiang, David Ross Merrell, Kaitlyn Mullin, Jason Suh, Kevin Tsukii and Serhan Ulkumen Ardila joined me in a directed research adventure that took us to the Houston Ship Canal during spring break with borrowed gear from Radiant Images and Google.

This was not the first JOVRNALISM class (that was in the Fall of 2015), but this one was the first large journalism project that really established our work in the growing immersive journalism industry.

The students did amazing work under unpredictable circumstances. I remember the cops be called on us (even a threat about Homeland Security) because of our camera; going to the mayor’s house to film; a boat tour and eating BBQ.

Plus Kaitlyn dedicating weeks after graduation to work with me as we invented new forms of storytelling, including a photo dome.

This project – which became a common theme in all our projects – was a series of miracles that helped my students innovate and created award winning experiences.

Many folks to thank, like University of Southern California + USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, but big thank you to Scott Klein for approaching me with this ambitious idea, Michael Mansouri (who I had just met) for being kind enough to lend us equipment and Jonathan Yomayuza for helping us finish the piece! (Also to my family for letting me put up the money to initially fund the trip 😰.)

JOVRNALISM is still producing innovative projects today. This semester we are exploring how to use the latest immersive technologies to tell stories around gun violence. Stay tuned for more details.

I could not be more honored to have created this course nor could I be more proud than I am of each and every student who has produced under the JOVRNALISM banner.

The Nieman Lab article: https://www.niemanlab.org/2016/04/what-a-group-of-usc-students-learned-shooting-lots-of-vr-video-hint-duct-tape-is-involved/

(NOTE: It says ™ in our name because this was the time that someone was trying to steal our name, so we had to get lawyers involved.)