CBC News is doubling down on boosting its youth-focused content with the launch of two new digital-first news platforms for kids and young adults – CBC Kids News and CBC News Snapchat Discover.
Targeted to kids aged 9 – 13, CBC Kids News covers local, national and international stories deemed relevant to Canadian kids by what CBC describes as a “seasoned team of journalists who will consult with an editorial board of young Canadians from across the country.” The public broadcaster says the news will be delivered “in a safe and age-appropriate manner with a focus on media literacy.”
The platform will include stories from Canadian contributors aged 9-16, including 14-year-old Toronto-based actress Saara Chaudry who has been chosen as host and lead contributor from more than 700 applicants. Chaudry, who won an ACTRA Award for Best Voice Performance for her role in animated film The Breadwinner, landed the her new role based on her keen interest in world issues with her application focused on how half of Malawian children drop out of school before grade 4.
“With CBC Kids News, we are deepening our commitment to serve Canadian kids with engaging, informative and trustworthy content,” said Sally Catto, general manager, programming, CBC. “Congratulations to Marie McCann and the entire CBC Kids team on the launch of this platform that will strengthen media literacy and empower kids to find the positive in daily news.”
With content pillars including news, sports, pop culture, science, technology, animals and the environment, CBC Kids News will publish approximately 20 stories per week to start, with a goal to increase content over time. Stories will range from text and image pieces, video, and photo galleries to audience submissions, quizzes and polls.
“Canadians are served with more information from more sources than ever before in today’s digital landscape, and we continue to look for new ways to share our trusted news with younger audiences,” said Jennifer McGuire, general manager and editor in chief, CBC News. “Reflecting our commitment to media literacy education, these initiatives offer an opportunity to adapt our news storytelling to inform kids and young adults on new platforms and help them think more critically about the news they are consuming.”
CBC News is also publishing a youth-focused, highly visual, daily edition on the Snapchat Discover platform, making CBC the first Canadian publisher of daily news on the app. Targeted to teen and millennial Canadians, aged 13 and older, CBC News content won’t expire after 24 hours like most personal Snap content, and can be accessed using Snapchat’s Search feature. CBC says to date more than 70 percent of its audience on Snapchat is aged 24 or younger.
Later this fall, CBC will also launch culture and entertainment editions once per week on the Snapchat Discover platform, covering topics like pop culture, lifestyle, and health.
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