Common Sense Media Review
By Christy Matte
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bias-battling news platform is small but clever.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Abridge News
What's It About?
ABRIDGE NEWS explores a variety of news topics - featured news, politics, international news, sports, business, science and health, and culture - and shares op-ed pieces that reflect different opinions on the subject. Each topic has a set of Quick Facts, or, bits of information that are generally agreed upon. Food for Thought then asks questions to get readers to think a little deeper and form their own opinions. For example, one topic is "Voting in the Age of Coronavirus." The Food for Thought section asks, "How should we alter elections during a pandemic? Is national vote-by-mail a good idea?" At the bottom, users can click on a spectrum line to read one of four op-ed pieces on the subject categorized by Left-Leaning Reactions or Right-Leaning Reactions. They can then choose an emoticon to show how they feel about the opinion they just read -- Agree, Disagree, or Undecided -- and specify how strongly they feel about their answer. After they've shared their thoughts, they can see how others reacted.
Is It Any Good?
This is a great tool for getting kids (and adults) thinking about how the same information can be interpreted in different ways. Abridge News is thought provoking and strives to provide a balance in points-of-view. In fact, according to their website, the op-ed pieces that Abridge News team chooses to match their story topics contain factual information while also reflecting the breadth of opinion on the subject. A small team writes much of the app's editorial content though, which makes it a challenge to make sure that there's no bias in what the team presents. But there's enough breadth of opinion to challenge readers. Abridge News isn't an app you'll turn to as a news source just yet, as the coverage isn't very broad, but it's great for encouraging readers to dig a little deeper on a select number of news stories.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about being media savvy while using Abridge News. Do these news stories come from reputable sources? How do you know? What kind of bias might the news outlets have?
Families can talk about media bias. Compare the op-ed pieces on each end of the spectrum. How are they the same? How are they different? Do they have facts in common?
Families can talk about learning with apps. Do you think this is a good app for learning? Why or why not? What can you learn?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Language & Reading : discussion , forming arguments , reading , Science : engineering , biology , ecosystems and the environment , Social Studies : events , global awareness , government
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : applying information , asking questions , thinking critically , Tech Skills : evaluating media messages
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : March 25, 2020
- Genre : News
- Topics : Activism
- Publisher : David Byas-Smith
- Version : 1.58
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 10.0 or later
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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