We break down what it looks like to be a journalist.
We break down what it looks like to be a journalist.
* If you have a question about war, or if there’s something else going on in the world that you want us to break down, write to us or record a message and email us at listen@akidsco.com.
Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are found and check out other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.
Sarah Jones Breaks It Down: A Kids News Podcast
S1 EP01, As a Journalist, That’s My Job
[INTRODUCTION]
Sarah: This is Sarah Jones Breaks It Down.
I’m Sarah, and I’m here to help us better understand what’s happening in the world.
Why?
Because, as a journalist, that’s my job.
And this world isn’t just filled with adults…
Kid: Nope!
Sarah: It’s our world.
So, every week we’ll talk about the stories that you may overhear some adults talking about like war, or elections and we’ll…
Group of Kids: Break it down.
Sarah: And we’ll break it down.
[TOPLINE]
Sarah: So, this is our first time hanging out together. So, I want to tell you a little bit more about what I do as a journalist and how I do it. Because journalism is what I’m going to be using when I break things down for you, and who knows, maybe you’re a future journalist!
To break down the job of a journalist, why don’t I first use the example of going to a restaurant or your school cafeteria?
When you go to a restaurant or you’re in the lunch line in the cafeteria , how do you decide what you’re going to have to eat? You learn about your options first by reading a menu or by hearing what choices are being offered, and then you decide on the best choice for you. The chef or the staff don’t tell you what to order, though they may make suggestions. Instead, they give you the information on what is available, and you make the decision yourself.
To use another example, think about how the weather report impacts your decision on what to wear that day. A forecast of rain might have you reaching for your umbrella or a raincoat. Freezing temperatures may lead to your decision to wear a heavy coat, warm hat, and gloves.
You don’t have to make these decisions. I mean, the weather forecast doesn’t stop you from going out into the snow wearing nothing but a swimsuit and sandals, but it does provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for you.
You make decisions sometimes based on information that someone put together, like the chef that put dinner options onto the menu or the meteorologist who shared the weather forecast.
So a journalist gathers and checks information to see what’s true or not, without putting their opinion in it, and then shares that information with others so that we can understand more of our world. There are some journalists who just share their opinions, but that’s a little different and is called editorial news, or an op-ed.
For myself personally, I always thought I wanted to be a doctor or go into biomedical engineering and make prosthetics for people that were more efficient and more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. And invent cool things that help move medicine forward.
In fact, ‘A Kids Book About War’ wasn’t the first children’s book I’ve ever written.
Back when I was in middle school I wrote Can for Kids, a cancer awareness magazine focused on Leukemia, which is a type of cancer. I wrote this booklet while I was in school, and then I called the American Cancer Society, without knowing anyone there and asked if they would publish it for me. After reviewing it, they said “yes”.
The book was also reviewed by a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, who is the Head Of Pediatric Oncology, Dr. Levine. And it was used by both American Cancer Society, Cleveland Clinic, and then also Mount Sinai Hospital, Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins.
I thought when I wrote this booklet it was because I was so passionate about science and math that I was going to become a doctor. But really, it was probably the first sign that I was going to be a journalist.
I've been a journalist for 14 years now. And one of my favorite things about my job is being a microphone and a camera, almost like a stage for other people to share their stories, kind of like a megaphone that they can talk out of and more people can hear them.
And the reason I love it is because when these people share what they've been through with honesty and just being a hundred percent real, they can impact other people and make some people realize that they're not alone. Because if you felt it, I can guarantee in the billions of people in this world, you are not alone and you never are, but people don't know how much they have in common, until they listen.
And listening is one of the most important parts of learning.
I listen to the people I interview so I can learn from them, I listen to books and read them so I can learn from them, and then I think about everything and put it together like a puzzle.
I sometimes work for publications, which means I write stories for them that get printed for people to read. But I also take photographs and put together photo essays which are a collection of pictures that tell a story with a few words to explain the photos. Then I also do tv, and when I’m on tv, I usually film everything, edit it, write it and then I even film myself when I’m on camera sometimes. I put the camera on a stand called a tripod, and well basically hope I’m in focus.
[BREAKDOWN]
Sarah: So that was the short version of what I do.
The way I know about what’s happening in our world is I read a lot, which helps me kind of get a feel for what might happen in the near future. And then I talk to people, like a lot of people, because the only way you learn about what’s happening in our world is to talk to people, experts and to go and check out a situation yourself.
The way I approach my work is I want to give you the information so that you can decide what to do. And I try to give you as much information as possible about every side, so that you can make up your own mind, because knowledge and information is power.
My favorite thing is covering news that’s underreported, which you heard me mention earlier. And an example of that would be when I went to the world’s youngest country…do you know what it’s called? Some of you might be listening from a part of the world near this young country. I’ll give you a few seconds to guess.
The world’s youngest country is South Sudan. It is located on the continent of Africa and it’s right below Sudan on the Eastern side of the continent. It became independent or separate from its northern neighbor Sudan in 2011. And the country also shares a border with Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic.
So when I went to South Sudan I met this amazing young man who was figuring out how to help the kids in his community who didn’t have enough to eat. Emmanuel Lobijo figured out how to use technology called bitcoin to provide food for free to the kids who didn’t have food. He was amazing and I was able to spend time with him and the kids in the community and learn about his work and share it with others on tv.
I do write stories, and take pictures. And the main way I share stories is through video which I film myself, edit, produce and write. Some people call it being a “one man band” when you do everything yourself.
But the reality is, nothing in the news can be done by one person alone.
[UNDER-REPORTED]
Sarah: So now you know a little bit more about what I do as a journalist.
But information is for everyone, and…
Group of Kids: Everyone matters.
Sarah: So let’s talk about all the jobs within the news media that maybe you haven’t heard of.
Actually, when I was in college and I did that internship at the news station and that’s when I learned how many different jobs there were in the news. There are some people who edit all the videos, they’re called editors, it’s also common that camera people are also editors and do both jobs.
There are people who tell camera people in a studio or out on location which camera to show on tv and which one to keep turned off, they’re called directors.
There are also people who write what the anchor reads some of them are called writers, and some are also called producers.
The ones that are called producers have a different name than the writers, because they actually pick the video and write the words that appear on the bottom of the screen and the script for the anchors who read it on tv.
Some people read over and check every print story before it’s published in the newspaper, to make sure there aren't any mistakes. They are usually called editors and they are usually in a higher position than the writers.
Some people decide what goes on the tv or in a paper and on what day, in tv they’re called executive producers or senior executive producers. There are also people who make sure the show ends right before a commercial and doesn’t go too long. They’re often called line producers and they keep the time for everything.
When you’re a journalist and you’re assigned to do reporting in a different country, you sometimes hire a local journalist, or a local person who knows a lot of people, to take you around.
That person is called a fixer and so many of the stories you see on international news would not be possible without fixers.
There are so many people that make news possible, and I only described a few.
Together we’re called media workers and journalists.
We’re here to serve you by bringing information to you, like I will be doing with this podcast every week.
[CLOSING]
Sarah: Thank you for listening and for breaking it down with me today.
Our first series of episodes are going to focus on the topic of “war” and we’d like your help. We know you’ve got lots and lots of questions about war and what’s going on in the world. And I’d like to break them down with you in future episodes of the show.
So if you have a question about war, or if there’s something else going on in the world that you want us to break down, write to us or record a message and email us at listen@akidsco.com.
Sarah Jones Breaks It Down is written and reported by me, Sarah Jones. You can learn more about me and my work at sarahjonesreports.com.
Our show is edited and produced by Matthew Winner with help from Chad Michael Snavely and our team at Sound On Studios. Our executive producer is Jelani Memory. And this show was brought to you by A Kids Podcast About.
Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are found and check out other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.
Thank you for hanging out with me and stay curious!