Reuters Launches Second Life News Service

Second Life citizens will now have access to both real- and virtual-world news, courtesy of a new Reuters service.

London-based news giant Reuters has become the latest company to set up shop in Second Life, the user-created virtual world maintained by developer Linden Lab. Beginning today, Second Life's 900,000-odd subscribers will be able to view recent headlines via the Reuters News Center, a virtual mobile device that users can carry around within the Second Life world. In addition, the service will allow users to visit the Reuters Atrium, a virtual community center where current events and articles can be discussed with other Second Life citizens.

Reuters indicates that the news service will provide Second Life cultural and financial news in addition to current real-world headlines. To that end, Reuters has established an in-game news bureau, with Reuters media correspondent Adam Pasick serving as chief. Within Second Life, Pasick will track down news in avatar form under the name Adam Reuters. "As strange as it might seem, it's not that different from being a reporter in the real world," said Pasick of his new assignment. "Once you get used to it -- it becomes very much like the job I have been doing for years."

The virtual service will have an online counterpart offering readers the same Second Life news, viewable at Reuters' Second Life News Center website. "In Second Life, we're making Reuters part of a new generation," said Reuters Chief Executive Tom Glocer. "We're playing an active role in this community by bringing the outside world into Second Life and vice versa."

Source: Reuters