Taking care of young readers [Archives:2008/1128/Viewpoint]
Editor
The developed world is quite anxious about the fact that the reading curve is declining. Fewer people are reading newspapers and even fewer young people are choosing to read the old-fashioned way; consequently, media is looking for ways to engage young readers and win them as loyal readers.
The problem is that young people in developed countries are seeking new modes of entertainment and are more interested in obtaining information from the web or through their mobile phones than reading newspapers or even watching television for that matter. Hence, for the newspaper business to survive, it must go to such readers, get them hooked and gradually pull them toward traditional media.
I had the chance to personally see some examples of this at the World Editors Forum as a participant on the World Association of Newspapers' Young Readers' Study Tour of Paris and London.
Among the examples is Play Bac, a French group dedicated to creating innovative, educational concepts and formats for children. They create newspapers for children and young adults, with the assistance of the children themselves.
Another French example is the new e-edition of l'Equipe named l'Equipe Junior, which is an innovative online edition set to launch Feb. 15 with a print-like design and Harry Potter-like features for children between ages 9 and 14.
L'Equipe Junior combines online characteristics with a print look, as well as pictures that move and content that magically enlarges when the cursor moves over it. Content will cater to youths' sports interests while offering content linked to classwork in mathematics and other subjects.
In the U.K., the Newsroom is a unique place within Europe for young readers created by The Guardian and The Observer. It gives children a rewarding experience in journalism, in addition to offering the newspapers an unparalleled advantage in creating awareness and excitement over other types of companies seeking to create loyalty. The Newsroom does this via fast-paced workshops where students create either their own front page or web site.
The Guardian also publishes an online news service for schools, learnnewsdesk, to foster young peoples' engagement with the news while enhancing the classroom curriculum. Used in more than 4,000 schools across the U.K., learnnewsdesk includes daily news stories, votes, quizzes, classroom activities and podcasts, all produced by Guardian editors specially trained in writing for young people. Students also may submit their own written and podcast reports to be published on moderated message boards.
Oink! is probably the world's only business newspaper for children. Considered a simplified Financial Times for children, it teaches them how to invest and deal with stocks, among other important financial operations in the real world.
These are just a few examples of how different countries are seeking to attract new generations and win them as loyal readers. It's important to publicize these successful stories and make them more known within the media industry, especially in young countries like Yemen, where more than half of the population is under 16 years old.
If we want to ensure a better future, we must make sure future generations have good resources for information – and are educated enough to know how to use them to their advantage.
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