The France-based global press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF in French) is expanding its online operations into East Asia and out of reality.

On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, RSF announced the launch of its Web site in Simplified Chinese, as well as the opening of its newly furnished office in Second Life, an online virtual world.

The expansions aim to bring press freedom news, information, and resources to earth’s 1.3 billion Chinese residents and cyberspace’s six million Second Life residents.

RSF’s office in Second Life is the virtual world’s first international human rights organization; visitors are invited to learn about press freedom (in our world), participate in the organization’s campaigns, and view photos of RSF’s “34 Predators of Press Freedom.”

The Chinese language Web site hopes to strengthen the independent press in a country that is infamous for its tight government control over media, including the censorship of online materials. RSF has urged Chinese censors not to block the new site.

For more information, visit www.rsf.org (English) or www.rsf-chinese.org (Simplified Chinese). To find RSF’s virtual office, visit Second Life’s search engine and search for "Reporters sans frontiers.

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