It's Not That They Know Too Much
What kids actually need when the news is scary
When the news is scary (and that’s...a lot more often than we’d prefer), we’re often asked how to discuss it with kids. Today, Tracy Kaplan is here to share her thinking, which she’s developed over 6 years as the creator of The 10 News, a podcast for kids and families ages 8-12. Tracy talks about how the fear for kids often lies in what they don’t understand. Today’s conversation between Tracy and Sarah gives us a roadmap for figuring out when and how much to explain.
Topics Discussed
Why kids' anxiety about the news is often rooted in a knowledge gap, not the news itself
How The 10 News covers scary topics like school shootings — and why vagueness can be worse than directness
What kids actually want to know more about (spoiler: more politics, not less)
How to cover hard stories without being condescending
The shift toward more international coverage over six years
What it looks like to watch a generation of kids grow up through the news
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Episode Resources
The Ten News
Episode Transcript
Coming soon…
Show Credits
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