Category: Featured

By Keith Nuthall, International News Services

In tough recessionary times, publishers sensibly look to the bottom line. Agencies such as International News Services offer quality well-priced global coverage. Publications gain access to more than 40 experienced journalists worldwide, and the amount they need to spend can vary according to budgets and editorial demands.

By Eric Lyman, in Poznan, Poland, for ISN Security Watch

As countries battle to come up with a plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions in 2009, attention will almost surely begin to focus on two main players that hold the fate of the international process in their hands: the US and China.

By Russell Berman, in Washington DC

USA president-elect Barack Obama has promised a robustly multilateralist foreign policy for America having assumed office on January 20, but one of the more complicated relationships he will have to navigate will be with the United Nations. Facing constant criticism for a unilateral, go-it-alone attitude toward diplomacy and world opinion, the Bush administration has had a largely adversarial relationship with the UN.

By Paul Cochrane, in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The old dictum goes – ‘one man's loss is another man's gain’. Curiously, in a globalised world in the midst of a financial downturn, this saying is particularly true, with certain countries unexpectedly benefiting from an otherwise near universal crisis.

By Alan Osborn

We should have known better than to believe the French last year when they said they wanted a new, reformed common agricultural policy with lower subsidies for farmers. That, incredibly, was what French president Nicholas Sarkozy said in September 2007.

Incredible is right.

A year later Paris has thrown such pledges into the dustbin.

By Alan Osborn

Once again events at the European Parliament have reminded us of how easy it is to brush aside things like common-sense and good financial management when a nation’s self-regard is at stake.

By Kristan Hall

The Metaverse Messenger (M2) is a weekly newspaper (published as an online PDF at http://www.metaversemessenger.com/) covering Second Life. With a

readership of over 63,000 residents, the M2 is the most widely read newspaper in Second Life.

It was created by Kristan Hall and Alan Seeger (known as Katt Kongo and Phoenix Psaltery in Second Life) in August 2005 to provide the millions of

residents of SL with a news source influenced by and distributed in the style of a conventional newspaper. Though there are a plethora of publications

in Second Life, the M2 was the first of them, and the team is comprised of people with years of journalism and advertising experience.

Publisher Kristan Hall was a seven year veteran of journalism, with a two year degree as well, before founding the M2. She is featured in books such as

Second Life: The Official Guide and The Entrepreneur's Guide of Second Life. Hall is an expert in virtual worlds, as she has participated in a multitude of

MMORGS since 2002. She has been a resident of Second Life since June of 2005.

Alan Seeger, the publication's advertising executive, is the author of a book of original poetry and song lyrics. He has also written for several publications,

including a popular music website. Besides being an author, he has worked in the theatre, television, and radio, as well as being a composer, photographer,

and graphic designer.

M2 columnist Christopher Simpson, currently a professor at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario, brings a wealth of knowledge to both his features,

aptly titled First Life, Second News and Ad Nauseam.

Donnell King, who is employed with the M2 as a staff writer, is an associate professor of speech and journalism at Pellissippi State Technical Community

College in Knoxville, Tennessee. He also helps manage the college's Second Life presence, and oversees the college's journalism intern program with

the M2.

News Manager Dominic Scott has been with the M2 since its early days, and is currently a second year journalism student at University of Wolverhampton.

The M2 has been featured in media sources such as De Nieuwe Reporter, Metro Times, www.channel4.com, The International Herald Tribune,

The Guardian, Adweek, AAJA Voice, Austin-American Statesman, The Phoenix, Business Week, Clickable Culture, and many others.

The publication has enjoyed tremendous success, with advertising purchased by major companies such as Vodafone, The Weather Channel,

Rate Point, Dell Computer, Wiley Books, Caldwell Bankers, Accounting Services of John Horner, Warner Home Movies, Brian Ulaszewski (who ran

for the office of the second district of the Long Beach City Council), and others.

Katt Kongo at work...

By Keith Nuthall

International News Services has an unorthodox correspondent called Belinda Blessed. She is unusual, in that she does not actually exist. She is a virtual reporter and is operated by agency writers who report on the virtual world Second Life.

By Raghavendra Verma, in New Delhi

India has been blamed for the failure of the World Trade Organisation talks in Geneva, where its commerce minister Kamal Nath was portrayed as a villain for spoiling a golden opportunity. At home, however he has been lauded for his principled stand and for withstanding the pressure from United States.