My online personas and I will be at BlogHer this weekend

BlogHer's annual summer conference begins tomorrow, and my alter-egos are moderating a couple of interesting panels. If you participate in Second Life, feel free to join me -- the SL conference is free.

Here are descriptions of my sesssions from the BlogHer website. All times are Central Standard Time:

Saturday, July 27, 10:30-12:00

10:30-12:00
Session #1: Covering a virtual world

News media coverage is everywhere in Second Life Magazines, newspapers, tv news-is it to be taken seriously? What are the challenges of covering a virtual world? Is this the “new” media and how might it relate to the real world of journalism? Journalism professor and BlogHer editor Kim Pearson (SL name: Khadijah Burali) moderates a discussion between Second Life newsies including SL News Network's Cybergrrl Oh, Starr Sonic, host of That S’Life - a five minute review show about what is happening in Second Life and 57 Miles (aka Nick Wilson) of Metaversed.com.

How to Write Great Political Coverage: From Breaking News to Op-Ed

You've decided what issues matter most to you, and you want to cover them on your blog. Do you want to be a great political reporter who uses reputable sources to shine a light on stories of the day? Do you want to write great political commentary without being a blowhard? Do you want to avoid the straw man argument, the ad hominem attack and other techniques that only serve to undercut your message? Professor Kim Pearson moderates this session will focus on the steps any blogger can take to write high-quality political content, whether you want to write news or Op-Ed pieces. Also featuring Faye Anderson and Katharine Daniels.