Journalism in the Age of Second Life

by Brian Howard
At his office in San Francisco, Daniel Terdiman spends an average of one hour per day as his character GreeterDan Godel in the online “metaverse” program Second Life. However, Terdiman doesn’t have to worry about getting in trouble with his boss because his time spent in the increasingly popular virtual world is part of his job as a reporter for CNET, the technology-focused media company. While Terdiman says he does enjoy visiting Second Life for fun, he primarily logs on to do work-related research and interviews.
-Interested in Brian Howard's Story? Contact him at bch2108@columbia.edu

Community Websites: East Harlemites Combat Perceived MSM Bias and Neglect

by Tara Kyle
Community websites give residents a way to tell the story of their neighborhoods. From personality profiles to information about upcoming events, social issues and elected officials, readers of these websites can find out a lot about their community's past, present and future. Two East Harlem websites, East-Harlem.com and EastHarlemPreservation.org, give East Harlem residents more localized coverage of news events that affect the community. As Tara Kyle shows, place blogs fill the gap left by the mainstream media’s perceived bias and neglect of East Harlem. But without the support of staff or income, their reach also has limits.
-Interested in Tara Kyle's article? Contact her at tdk2107@columbia.edu

Internet Access: A Playground for Self-Promotion

by Teri Berg
With the help of technology, Nelson Torres has turned WTF Wrestling Outlaws, a wrestling group in Harlem, into a one-man show and a fledgling promotions company. In "Internet Access: A Playground for Self-Promotion," Berg explores the world of WTF Wrestling Entertainment and the role that Internet access could potentially play in the company's success.
-Interested in Teri Berg's article? Contact her at tb2231@columbia.edu