Calling all budding journalists – young people are invited to a virtual newsroom that will help them to learn media skills, build their confidence and support their mental health and wellbeing through the coronavirus pandemic.
Throughout August, Media Cubs, a newsroom for young people, has teamed up with Calm Connections, a family support social enterprise, to hold four ‘Have I Got Views For You’ onloine news bulletin sessions with different themes to give little people big voices.
Week 1 – Friday, August 7: Have I Got Views For You, News at 10 bulletin: What is the news, why we need it, roles in the newsroom.
Week 2 – Friday, August 14: Have I Got Views For You, News at 10 bulletin: Real or Fake, how to spot it and how to deal with it.
Week 3 – Friday, August 21: Have I Got Views For You, News at 10 bulletin: Broadcasting Confidence, making our own news and giving our opinions
Week 4 – Friday, August 28: Have I Got Views For You, News at 10 bulletin: And finally….sharing news stories that you have created, in its various forms to watch, read, listen and graduation from Media Cubs academy
Kirsty Day, Media Cubs leader, said: “I am so excited for this online summer programme. The situation with Covid-19 has catapulted us into a new way of working so we can continue to work with as many young people as possible.
“Working with Calm Connections is fantastic, as like them, we want to make sure that kids can debate and navigate news, so it does not have a detrimental effect on their wellbeing.
“They will learn media skills to create their own news to help them to express themselves with confidence and encourage opinions.
“Because opinions turn into actions, and actions create a new reality, in what is going to be a new world for them for schooling or homeschooling come September.”
All of the sessions are delivered with a member of the Calm Connections team and provide ideas for tools and tips for the family to use to better manage anxiety or low mood. Kids will also be given a media pack to use at home with the weekly challenges.
Calm Connections has a whole programme of events to help families better manage anxiety, low mood, and depression through a whole range of fun sessions that can be found at Eventbrite.
Emma Jones, chief executive of Calm Connections, said: “It is great to be able to have Media Cubs on board. The families that we work with have had to manage anxieties during the pandemic and the bombardment of news, so empowering young people to know how to manage the news, what is fake and what’s not and creating their own news as an outlet is fantastic.”
The cost of the sessions are per family, and an adult will be asked to attend with a child.
Please contact admin@calmconnections.org if you would like to discuss subsidised places or payment options.
For more information on Calm Connections go to: www.calmconnections.org and to book your places go to Eventbrite here.
For more information on Media Cubs go to www.mediacubs.co.uk
