Children and News: Opinions of Children’s News Program Creators in Israel

Although standard television news is often perceived as inappropriate for children, studies suggest that news consumption is important for children's social and political socialization. Accordingly, children's news programs have been developed with the aim of adapting news for children. Research examining program creators' perspectives on news adaptation for children has primarily focused on the creators' views of wars or on others crisis coverage. The current study addresses the production of routine children's news by examining the unique context of Israel. Interviews with 15 creators reflect the belief that news should be adapted to children's cognitive and emotional abilities by ensuring that such news is comprehensible and palatable, featuring both standard news items and content pertaining to children's lives, achieving a balance between heavier and lighter content, and generating a youthful atmosphere. The implications of these findings and the questions that arise are discussed.