CNN has opened up an in-world news hub that will allow users to report news directly to this specialized CNN hub called SL I-Reports. CNN will then review the content submitted and select news to air to the Second Life population, within the game.
CNN aims to find out by opening an I-Report hub in Second Life, a three-dimensional virtual world created entirely by its residents.
There, CNN will look to those most familiar with the virtual world - the Second Life residents themselves - to determine what constitutes news "in-world."
Developer Linden Labs opened Second Life to the public in 2003. According to its Web site, Second Life is inhabited by millions of "residents" from around the globe. However, traffic at any given time hovers around 40,000 users.
Just as CNN asks its real-life audience to submit I-Reports-user-generated content submitted from cell phones, computers, cameras and other equipment for broadcast and online reports-the network is encouraging residents of Second Life to share their own "SL I-Reports" about events occurring within the virtual world.
"The thing we most hope to gain by having a CNN presence in Second Life is to learn about virtual worlds and understand what news is most interesting and valuable to their residents," said Susan Grant, executive vice president of CNN News Services.
When Second Life residents observe an in-world event they deem newsworthy, they can take snapshots, shoot video, or write a report about the event and submit to CNN.
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