Common Sense Media Review
By Molly Jackel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Weekly news by kid reporters teaches media literacy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Listen
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
TIME FOR KIDS EXPLAINS is a weekly, kid-hosted current events news show from Time magazine's Time for Kids. Kids report on the news of the week and kid-friendly topics, like animals and space travel, via interviews and fun games. They explore media literacy and how to weed out misinformation, by asking questions about sources, discussing fact vs. opinion, and what makes a source credible. One segment is called "Hometown Heroes" about local folks doing good; another is "Fact or Fishy," a quiz in which one of the hosts has to figure out whether a story is factual and credible, or fishy, like from an unreliable source, by asking pointed questions.
Is It Any Good?
Despite it's slick, overly layered audio and corny wordplay, this podcasts's tackling of media literacy through teaching journalism principles is admirable. Time for Kids Explains is Time magazine's weekly kid's news podcast and the stories come from the Time for Kids magazine. Story choices are kid-friendly, including fun games and quizzes, and the hosts and reporters are all kids. The hosts are great role models for curiosity, active listening, and enthusiasm.
Kid reporters explore not only the news itself, but where it comes from and how to examine the news for credibility. Interviews with adult journalists involve questions about their sources and their motivation. While expanding children's world through covering global current events, hosts cover terms like "fact check" and "sponsored content" to expand kids' media world, too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the current events stories covered in Time for Kids Explains. Had you heard about those events already? Did the coverage help you understand the story better?
Before the internet, newspapers were the main way people got their news. Does anyone in your family read the newspaper? Do you? If not, how does your family get its news?
There are many ways reporters make a news story: research, interviews, eyewitness accounts, talking to experts, visiting a location. Do the reporters on the podcast use any of these methods? Which ones?
Is there a story you heard that you'd like to know more about? What follow-up questions would you ask if you had the chance?
Podcast Details
- Release date : August 31, 2020
- Genre : News
- Run time : 11 minutes
- Website : https://pinna.fm/library/kids-shows/pinna-podcasts/time-for-kids-explains
- Host : Various Hosts
- Production Company and Network : Pinna
- Pricing structure : Free to try, Paid (Sample episodes are free to try. A subscription to Pinna is required to access the full library for either $5.99/mo billed annually or $7.99/mo billed monthly.)
- Last updated : April 6, 2022
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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