Nick News with Linda Ellerbee - TV-Y
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this award-winning news program for older school-aged kids and adolescents covers tough issues like the Iraq wars, the aftermath of September 11, the Columbine tragedy, and Hurricane Katrina. Multiple perspectives are raised during host Linda Ellerbee's facilitated discussion. For younger or more-sensitive viewers, parents need to be prepared to discuss the issues, answer questions, and perhaps skip episodes that are too sad or difficult to understand.
Families can continue the discussions raised by the program. Watching this show is no replacement for meaningful parent-child conversations about these hard topics. Questions will be raised that the show doesn't cover, and parents may need to ask kids questions to make sure they understand why these issues are important.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Pam Gelman
It's almost impossible to shield kids from hearing about world events. And sometimes it's hard for parents to find the right words to describe the difficult topics raised by real events in our kids' lives. How do you respond when your teen asks about war, tragedy, or scandal? NICK NEWS WITH LINDA ELLERBEE is a great place to start. Geared for teens and tweens interested in world events, Nick News helps kids make sense of these events by presenting them in kid-friendly, understandable language.
Host Linda Ellerbee tackles big topics like war in Iraq, AIDS, the O.J. Simpson trial, as well as other important issues that are very relatable to this age: bullying, divorce, learning and mental disorders, body image, and homelessness. Sitting cross-legged with a group of school-aged boys and girls of all races, Ellerbee presents an issue and then asks questions about how the kids would react in this situation. Then she'll present a different perspective and give the kids time to think about and change their responses.
Nick News also features exposés on specific events, projects, or problems related to the theme of the episode. In the special on recycling, for example, Ellerbee featured a story about a group of teens that took on their school board to eliminate the Styrofoam used in the school cafeteria. They won that battle and then took on big business -- McDonald's. Viewers learned about the environmental hazards of non-recyclable products and about kids their age who peacefully voiced opposition and stood their ground to demonstrate a point.
Nick News has been on the air since 1992; new episodes are produced every few weeks or so. It's won Emmy, Peabody, and Columbia duPont awards and has been endorsed by the National Education Association. There's no debate over the benefits of kids learning about politics and their world. The only words of caution to parents would be to watch out for very serious topics that might be inappropriate for younger viewers. Nick News is intended for teens and tweens who have the maturity to hear about difficult topics.
If your kids enjoy Nick News, you can check out MTV's News Specials together.
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Sexual ContentSuggestions of sexual activities when discussing certain topics in the news, such as Monica Lewinsky. |
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ViolenceDiscussion of activity related to wars, school shootings, celebrity murders. |
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Social BehaviorLinda Ellerbee promotes healthy discussion for kids about difficult issues. |
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