• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, March 11, 2016

While the public remains skeptical about virtual reality, newspaper publishers are betting big on the technology as the future of media – or at least a big part of it.

This week three of the nation’s biggest newspapers – The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today – unveiled ambitious new VR programs intended to create immersive experiences related to newsworthy subjects.

The NYT announced two new virtual reality films available on its NYT VR app, in conjunction with the first-ever “Music Issue” of The New York Times Magazine, due out this Sunday. One of the VR films, produced in collaboration with Vrse.works, takes viewers inside the home of singer, producer and DJ Syd Tha Kyd, as her band The Internet prepares for a world tour.

The other is a music video by hip-hop super-group Run The Jewels for their song “Crown,” available exclusively through the NYT VR app.

(Separately, the newspaper’s NYT Beta interdisciplinary team revealed plans for a new TV and film site, Watching, modeled on its successful Cooking and NYT Now apps. The newspaper is also expanding its Well vertical, with Philips health technology as an exclusive sponsor.)

Also this week, The Washington Post unveiled a new VR program that takes viewers on a mission to Mars. The interactive feature, called “Journey to Mars” and sponsored by Amazon Web Services, allows users to explore the Martian landscape on any platform or device, including desktop, mobile and tablet, with or without VR gear like Google Cardboard.

Users can also listen to interviews with NASA planetary scientist Jim Green, explore NASA’s new prototype spacesuit, and learn about Space X’s SLS rocket and Dragon Capsule, which may someday be used to send people to Mars.

Jeremy Gilbert, WaPo’s director of strategic initiatives, stated: “Only a small percentage of our users are likely to have a VR headset, so we ensured that our ‘virtual passport to space’ will work everywhere.”

Also this week, USA Today revealed plans for a new VR news show, “VRtually There,” produced by USA Today Network, set to premiere in the spring. VRtually There will eventually offer a slate of regularly scheduled, original programming on a range of topics, including political news, sports, finance, technology, lifestyles, and music, all hosted out of different cities around the country.

As part of the new program, USA Today is also offering a new form of VR advertising with integrations on the channel, including content produced by its in-house GET Creative branded content studio.

However,, the general public doesn’t seem to be falling over itself to embrace VR, which is still in its infancy.

Earlier this week, Horizon Media published the results of a survey of 3,000 U.S. consumers, which found that two-thirds of respondents were unaware or indifferent to VR.