http://www.kidsnewsroom.org/
Basically, this Web site is stupid. The premise behind it is cool: it "dumbs down" the news into ideas that children can easily follow. But, it has the worst set up ever and has typos, two things I can't deal with.
There is a section for kids to post thoughts, that get monitored and then posted on the "blog" as the admins see fit. No real space for conversation or discussion, though. Who is to say that kids don''t have strong, educated feelings?
Some of the news topics are a little weak. I can see choosing some topics that kids would find interesting to draw them in, but should the worlds largest Hershey's kiss being entered into the Guinness Book of World Records really be the headline for "Science and Technology"? We wonder why there's an obesity issue in America. (the headline for U.S. Government is a lemonade stand contest, seriously)
There are not any pictures, let alone any multi-media elements. Yawn.
Is there a way to recreate this site with a little bit more color? And I mean that figuratively, because the amount of florescent color in this sit now is enough to make me want to die.
They colors are disgusting (it reminds me of McDonalds, which brings me to my next point ... don't even get my started on the childhood obesity). But the point is, I was noticing on the other Web site aimed at middle school girls, they want bright colors, animation, glitter, sparkes, and LOT going on at once. This site just does a very, very bad job at that (neon is no longer cool). Secondly, I think there is a difference between dumbing down the news to the point of embarrassment (only a select demographic will actually view this as news) and presenting the actual news in a way its absorbed, be it blindly. In addition, if only the middle school girls are reading the news, then they'll be talking about it (because let's be serious, middle school girls love to talk), so it would be getting spread. I don't forsee anyone actually talking about this as nwes (there's no "spreading" factor here). I'm not saying the latest number of Iraq casualities need to be headline news, with videos and photographs, to 12 year old girls, but there is a balance to be achieved out there. This site, however, has not done it.
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