In July 1998, Bill Clinton is in the White House fighting impeachment. Closer to home, Jenny Shipley, New Zealand's first female Prime Minister, is fighting to keep viable the coalition Government with Winston Peters' New Zealand First Party.
In the South, Southern Rural Life was, for the first time, published as a fortnightly newspaper. The front page of the first issue featured a photograph of 7-year-old Shelley Unwin, of Balfour.
Fifteen years on, the now 22-year-old teacher at Waihopai School in Invercargill said she remembered the day the photo was taken. She ''wasn't really amused - my mum made me do it''.
Inside the paper, Knapdale stud farmers Michael and Janeann Mouat explained why they loved Hampshires, David Turner discussed feeding animals in the new millennium, and there was worrying news that border collies - our ubiquitous sheep dogs - were banned in some parts of the United States.
They were among the first news stories of the fortnightly Southern Rural Life , which began life as an infrequently printed farmers' magazine in Gore before 1998. Its frequency grew when a major national newspaper company, INL, acquired another Southern newspaper, Otago Southland Farmer.
Allied Press business manager Nick Smith said his Southern-owned company decided to establish Southern Rural Life to compete against the ''big heavies'' of INL.
The paper proved a good addition to the Allied Press stable and Mr Smith believes it is the best rural paper in Otago and Southland.
''It's been a great 15 years and it's vindicated our efforts to take on the big boy and we came out tops.''
Southern Rural Life advertising manager Ken Roy joined the new newspaper from Otago Southland Farmer. He is pleased with the evolution and success of the paper.
''When we first started off, we were just a 20-page paper,'' Mr Roy said.
''Now we are averaging 40 pages a fortnight.''
Content and stability were key.
''Good editorial content and good local stories. It's grown from that and stable staff.''
Southern Rural Life has built loyal relationships with its advertisers. Many who advertised in the first fortnightly edition are still with the newspaper today.
Livestock Supplies managing director Geoff Popenhagen said he still recalled the early days of the paper.
''It was a bit of a trial for us for a start, but we feel we have had some good returns over the years.''
During the past 15 years, he had seen the way farming's focus had shifted from sheep and beef to a ''massive influx of dairy farms''.
Claas Harvest Centre Otago managing director Steve Scoles said the seasonality of the farming business had been the biggest change over his firm's 15-year involvement with Southern Rural Life.
''We were very busy during the summer and very quiet during the winter. Now it's busy all year round.''
The way farmers ran their businesses had also changed, he said.
''People used to live on capital gain,'' Mr Scoles said.
''Now they have to farm like a business to make a profit.''
SRL Editor Stu Oldham thanked advertisers and readers for their support over the past 15 years and looked forward to the award-winning newspaper achieving more milestones.
- Timothy Brown