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Parents' Guide to

Noa: Listen to news articles

By Christy Matte, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Listen to multiple news sources; be aware of bias.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android Free to try News
Noa: Listen to news articles Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Noa: Listen to news articles App: Screenshot #1
  • Noa: Listen to news articles App: Screenshot #2
  • Noa: Listen to news articles App: Screenshot #3
  • Noa: Listen to news articles App: Screenshot #4
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Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

bronwyn_in_sf
bronwyn_in_sf Parent of 10 and 13-year-old
January 2, 2022
age 18+

Long attention span required

This app basically just reads aloud series of long-form articles on various themes from a variety of outlets (e.g., NYT, Bloomberg, WaPo, Harvard Business Review). Word for word. Which is fine if you have the time and focus (not to mention the vocabulary) to digest articles. But it’s hard to imagine many kids having the patience to engage with this app.
See all 1 parent review

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is not shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

NOA: LISTEN TO NEWS ARTICLES provides a source for listening to news from around the world. While users can browse individual articles, the power of Noa: Listen to news articles may be in the grouping of articles as a "series." For example, a series called "Can a Wealth Tax Help Solve Inequality?" includes five articles/op-eds from three different sources. Users can place a couple of articles or a whole series in their queue and listen uninterrupted. They can also download articles or a whole series and share them with others. A library section includes all articles and series that you followed or downloaded.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This opportunity to delve deeper into a particular topic is compelling, but it's not without some challenges. Noa: Listen to news articles brings a unique approach to its news platform, both in terms of the audio delivery and the grouping of stories around a theme. As kids learn more about being media savvy, we want them to examine multiple news sources to get a bigger picture vew. But when the news sources are all curated by the same team, it's possible to enhance bias rather than counter it. Whether or not this is the case here is up for debate, but it's something families will want to consider before choosing to subscribe. In terms of finding content that families can explore together, the queue and library come in handy. Parents who are concerned about appropriate news articles can create their own collection of articles to delve into with their kids. Before deciding if Noa: Listen to news articles is a good fit, try the free aspects and the 30-day trial. It's more than enough time to determine the app's newsworthiness in your home.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about media savvy while using Noa: Listen to news articles. Do these news stories come from reputable sources? How do you know? What kind of bias might the news outlets have?

  • Talk about current events in your community. What stories do you think need attention?

  • 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 , Android
  • Subjects: Language & Reading : reading, vocabulary, Social Studies : events, global awareness
  • Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : analyzing evidence, applying information, making conclusions, Communication : listening
  • Pricing structure: Free to try (three free articles/week or 30-day trial, then $9.49/mo. for unlimited access)
  • Release date: November 16, 2019
  • Category: News
  • Version: 4.3.1
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 10.0 or later; Android 4.4 and up
  • Last updated: February 13, 2020

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 suggesting a diversity update.

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