7 Safe and Credible News Sites for Children
These credible news sites are safe, accurate, and kid-friendly.
Talking to your children about the news can be hard — misinformation spreads quickly around social media, and it’s hard to tell what’s fact versus hearsay. With so much going on these days, it can be hard to determine what’s a credible website and what’s not, especially when it comes to children.
“Children often hear about news stories at school or when they are with friends so it is important that parents have sensitive and age-appropriate conversations if their child brings up a news story at home,” says Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, Executive Director at the National Association for Media Literacy Education. “News is often sensationalized, and parents should do their best to give their children information that is factual and accurate while also protecting them and making sure they feel safe.”
According to Common Sense Media, a study found that many children feel neglected and misrepresented by the news. 74 percent felt that the news should target more people their age, while 69 percent believed that the media has no idea about the experience of kids their age. Meanwhile, 63 percent of children said that the news makes them feel angry, sad, scared or depressed.
“Parents should understand that, unless news sites specifically say they are appropriate for children, news outlets target adult viewers. Most news programs cover difficult stories that are most likely not appropriate for children,” Lipkin continues. “Parents should be cautious about exposing children, especially very young ones, to news content and should reconsider news as background for their morning or evening routine.”
While sifting through the news of the day can feel like a daily task, it doesn’t have to be. With Lipkin’s help, we have listed the safest and most credible news sites for children, so that you can ensure your little one is getting informed while also staying safe.
Psst…Check out How to Talk to Your Kids About Politics
Snopes
Snopes is a great resource for anyone looking to verify the facts. The website launched in 1994 and originally served as an encyclopedia on folklore and urban legends. As time went on, the demand for reliable facts grew, and so did Snopes. The site now serves as the largest and one of the most credible organizations for the verification and debunking of news, myths, mysteries and more. Snopes also played a key part in the 2016 election in debunking political misinformation and developments.
TIME for Kids
TIME for Kids is known for its reliable and kid-friendly news and current events. The magazine offers a variety of information, including politics, business, Earth science and more. The site articles stick to the facts and highlight and define larger vocabulary words to encourage learning. It is also categorized by grade and features articles on wellness and kids around the world who are making a difference.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is a great resource for parents and children alike. The site is based on a non-profit that rates media such as television shows, books, games, podcasts and apps to help provide parents with a thorough and honest review of whether it is kid-friendly or not. “Common Sense Media has ratings for media content that could be helpful if you are a parent searching for appropriate news content for their children,” Lipkin adds.
DOGO Kids
Dogo Kids is a credible news site for children. Its content focuses on trending news, but also broadens into categories including culture, technology, science and world news. Kids can learn about the duct-taped banana that sold for six million dollars, or the ancient unearthed coins that were found to be worth millions!
Student News Daily
This Student News Daily is another credible news site and a great way to introduce journalism to tweens and teens. The site aggregates information from trusted and reported sources such as CBS, The Wall Street Journal, NBC, Politico and more. The articles explain unfamiliar words, and the site also contains resources for media bias, election news and journalists’ code of ethics.
KidNuz
KidNuz is a kid-friendly podcast that focuses on stories of the day. It’s age-appropriate, nonpartisan, and produced by Emmy-winning broadcast journalists who believe children also have a right to be up to date with current events. Each episode is seven minutes long and features six news stories.
The Week Junior
This magazine is designed to help inspire middle-grade students (ages 8 to 14) to discuss the news with their parents through informative content, featuring topics like international politics, national news and nature.
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