(IIR)
about the IIR
The Immersive Impact Review (IIR) is an online magazine exploring the intersection of immersive experiences and social good. We are a group of academics, writers, makers, and socially-minded entrepreneurs who aim to make this evolving field of immersive media more connected, interrogative, and critical (in a constructive way) so that projects reach wider audiences and make broader, lasting positive change. The Review is published by the Immersive Experience Alliance (IXA) with a seed grant from Agog.
our mission
We publish rigorous, accessible work that examines how immersive technologies and experiences—virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, performance, and storytelling—contribute to social impact. We're interested in the full lifecycle of XR projects: from conception and production through distribution, assessment, and legacy. Our focus extends beyond the promise of immersive technologies to their actual outcomes, measured impact, and practical lessons learned.
what we publish
We are a hybrid publication, offering a mix of journalistic articles and academic writing. Stories appearing in the Immersive Impact Review can be based on research, historical perspectives, practitioner insights, critical provocations, conversations with thought leaders, case studies of high impact projects, and creative documentation. While we value scholarly rigor, we prioritize accessibility—writing for intelligent, curious readers who may not be specialists in your specific domain. We tend to avoid writing that feels promotional, one-sided, or lacks depth of analysis. Most of our articles come in at around 3000 words, though we also provide space for creative work of all lengths and formats.
our values
We strive to make the Immersive Impact Review a meeting point for a community dedicated to exploring social impact in a meaningful way. In a time when many festivals, websites, and journals bend towards promotional writing, we strive to create a space of honest assessment and open exploration of where the immersive media industry has come from and where it is going.
We strive to foster diverse perspectives from across disciplines and professional backgrounds, practical wisdom alongside theoretical frameworks, and honest assessment of both successes and failures. We're committed to advancing the field through critical inquiry, documented outcomes, and knowledge sharing that helps practitioners, researchers, and advocates create more effective immersive experiences for social good.
our team
Michael Epstein
managing editor
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Michael Epstein is the founding director of Walking Cinema, an immersive media production studio specializing in place-based storytelling. Michael holds an M.S. degree in Comparative Media Studies from M.I.T. and leads the Experiential Journalism Lab at Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
Amy Carleton
editor
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Amy Carleton, Ph.D. (Comparative Media Studies/Writing, MIT) is a writer and co-founder of Black Notes Project, a music festival and nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and amplifying Black American music. At MIT, she teaches courses at the intersection of media, technology, and culture. Her research focuses on Wikipedia and tech ethics.
Lindsey Clausen
advisor
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Lindsey Clausen is an XR producer and project manager at Edgeworks within the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). She also serves as the Communications Chair for the Immersive Experience Alliance.
designer
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Samantha Bendix is a creative technologist at Edgeworks in the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). They hold a B.F.A in graphic design from UNL.