The Kids Are Alright

We are all flooded with misinformation. But what can we do about it? We turned to Henry Brechter, managing editor of the U.S. media company AllSides, to explore whether misinformation can be effectively curbed through government regulation, or whether such efforts would do irreparable damage to free speech. AllSides uses media bias ratings to provide balanced news across the U.S. political spectrum. In our podcast, "Let's Talk About It," we explore the complex and oftentimes fraught relationship between the principle of free speech and the need to protect the public against misinformation that can foster political polarization. We young people need to learn to navigate the media landscape and teach ourselves how to identify bias in the news. Our generation should aim to be as educated as possible so we can assess the accuracy of information and not rely on government regulation. Here is our contribution to the campaign for media literacy.

Some consider them a nuisance, but bees are critically important to humankind. In this podcast, "Plan Bee," two students at the European School Brussels II explain how climate change and humans are endangering bees.

Frustrated. Angry. Disappointed. Such are the feelings of young people in the face of climate change. Four students from News Decoder partner schools -- Paulo Araujo and Panashe Noel Jonga of the African Leadership Academy, Raivo Kleijsen of the European School of Brussels II and Lucy Maitland-Lewis of The Thacher School -- speak about their feelings as world leaders meet at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

A song written by Susan Ruel about the 9/11 attacks on New York City

Hanna Rahman, a student at the Hewitt School in New York City, examines how COVID-19 hit hospitals in the city and what the pandemic shows about the U.S. healthcare system. In her interview with Dr. Graham Barr, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Rahman learns about long-standing, systemic inequities in the city's healthcare system and how certain racial groups from certain areas of the city suffered most from the pandemic. But there's hope to be drawn from the effective impact the lockdown and social distancing measures had on mitigating the pandemic.

Students at the European School Brussels II discuss the impact that "The Great Acceleration" -- the dramatic growth of a large range of measures of human activity that started in the mid-20th century and continuing to this day -- has had on Earth's environment.

Young people taking action and creating political change by News Decoder X Podium.me

In this episode we'll hear from Sage Silberman, reporting from Los Angeles in the United States on how COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting African Americans.

In this episode we'll hear from Skye Neulight and Saga Leslie, based in Los Angeles, about the impact of coronavirus on the youth climate movement.

How can grassroot movements become global coalitions? How young women in the United States are mobilizing to protect our environment.

Africa is often misrepresented in the media as a poverty-stricken safari-land. Who benefits from such stereotypes? How can we reshape the image?

Hanna Rahman and Sadie Dyson of the Hewitt School in New York City interview Sabina Wills, a 17-year old Colombian national, to learn more about immigration into the United States.

Students stay home, but what's next? by News Decoder X Podium.me

The Covid-19 outbreak has forced billions to stay home. Despite fears, history shows that solidarity and patience in crises are the best remedies. News Decoder correspondent Malcolm Davidson and school teacher Jane Jenkins lived through the First Gulf War in Islamabad and Kuwait. They recognize the fear of never-ending lockdown.

Listen to snippets of students at the Algalita International Youth Summit where young people from nine different countries gathered to share and discuss ways to end plastic pollution. Ryan Rothman is a student at the Chadwick School in California and reported on youth action on plastic pollution for News-Decoder in a multi-media story: https://news-decoder.com/2020/03/24/plastic-pollution-youth/

In this episode of the The Kids Are Alright, American and Jordanian students learn more about what the art world is doing to preserve the cultural origins of art pieces and artifacts. Reporters Yoanna Gammoh, Tara Tarawneh and Masa Masri from King's Academy in Jordan and News-Decoder's Alexandra Grey in France spoke. You'll hear from the owner of an art gallery in Jordan, the president of a major international art auction house, a Smithsonian museum curator and two art historians.

Kate van Dusen is back in her hometown in the U.S. state of Texas after a year abroad in China. Her experience living on the other side of the "Great Firewall of China" made her curious about how the Chinese view media censorship in their country, and how Western media outlets also face different types of censorship. In this episode, you'll hear from News-Decoder Correspondent and former Chairman of Thomson Reuters China David Schlesinge, Zhou Fengshou, a former student leader The Tiananmen Square protests, Curry Wang, a Chinese national living in Canada, and Garrett Wilson, an American reporter who covered the French yellow vests movement.

Leela Rosaz Shariyf is 15 years old but is already thinking about what it means to vote. Shariyf is a high school student at Miss Porter's School in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Curious about how other young people outside the U.S. engage in elections, she spoke with three young South Africans, Rorisong Moseli, Thabang Matona and Amber Domalik about their involvement in the general election this past May. After hearing about the sorts of issues that matter to them and their views on voting, Shariyf called Dawie Scholtz, a management consultant and self-proclaimed "election nerd" for his insights on what the results mean for political parties in South Africa, particularly for the African National Congress.

16 year-old Giavanna Bravo isn't shy about asking tough questions. Nearly a decade of economic crisis and several years of political and social unrest, has forced many Venezuelans to decide whether or not to stay in a country with no clear future. Bravo speaks with aid relief worker Gabriela Corredor, Financial Times correspondent Gideon Long, student activist Elena Giralt, and Carlos Anez, who's step-father is currently being detained in a Venezuelan prison. In this episode you'll learn more about the reality of live in Venezuela in a time of immense insecurity and uncertainty and discover how a national economic crisis has lead to the world's largest refugee crisis.

Saga Leslie and Skye Neulight are vegetarians but are interested in learning more about the meat industry in the United States. They visited a local farm to speak to cattle rancher Wes Myers to understand how cattle are raised. Carolita Landers, a graduate of animal science from Colorado State University, explains the different steps and processes required to bring beef from the farm to the table. Saga and Leslie chat with their peer Fiona McLoughlin, a recent high school graduate from The Thacher School, about factory farming in the United States to contrast industrial and local farming. After learning about the sustainability of meat consumption, they called Tom Burke, Chairman of think-tank E3G, for a global perspective on food security and sustainable animal agriculture.

Gabriella Iskra introduces listeners to marine biologist Emma Williams, Reuters Environment Correspondent Alister Doyle and News-Decoder correspondent Sue Landau. Emma Williams, 24, spent nine months in the Seychelles rebuilding coral and studying damage from rising sea temperatures and bleaching. Now, she is committed to educating people about the importance of sharks for keeping the ocean healthy by killing off old, dying and sick sea life. Our reporter, Gabriella, found the interview both inspiring and terrifying. “Marine conservation is something we don't encounter much because we don't see it, it's under the sea.” The ocean's hidden challenges have drawn Emma in, and Gabriella said she was surprised to hear about the extent of the damage that Emma describes to listeners. Gabriella is keen to learn more about the human impact on the environment, plastic waste, oil companies, farming, animal welfare and climate change. “She [Emma] explained to me how terrifying it was to witness the state of the coral reefs. In parts of the ocean where she went diving, it's just barren. They're bleached, there's no life, and this whole image we have of beautiful fish and plants, there is none of that.” There's more. Beyond the sharks and coral, all marine life is affected by pollution, climate change, overfishing and trawling. “Imagine if we used the fish trawling methods on land in safari parks and needlessly took all the zebras and lions and tigers.” There are some things we can change. But time is of the essence. In her conversations with Alister Doyle and Sue Landau, Gabriella asks just how urgent it is to take action on ocean issues.

Dani Castonzo speaks with Simisola Jolaoso and Dr. Travis Brown to learn more about some of the challenges facing young entrepreneurs. A freelance journalist interested in innovative business operations, Castonzo explains why she chose to report for this episode: “There is no need for young people starting their careers to follow a traditional job path or fit themselves into a career or box that doesn't feel like themselves. There are so many opportunities to be different.” Simisola, known as Simi, works full-time as a TV journalist for the BBC. And it's only in her spare time that she works as the Founder and CEO of the Heavenly Company, which produces all-natural hair care products for black hair. It started with a simple hair balm that Simi made for herself using natural ingredients. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from friends and family pushed her to launch a full line of natural products. “Entrepreneurs are passionate people with big ideas,” says Castonzo. And she would know from experience. While a college student, she launched a lifestyle app for women, along with a friend. “I designed the app and spent a lot of time working with local businesses to try to get them involved.” Castonzo's app and business proposal were for a class taught by Assistant Dean of Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship at Indiana University Bloomington, Dr. Travis Brown. For insight, Dani turned to this professor, who works to develop young entrepreneurs.

Robots are everywhere. Two post-graduate students from the California Institute of Technology explained to our reporter Charlotte Crang how robots are already interacting with humans — sometimes in ways we may not even notice. Claudia Kann and Maegan Tucker are interested in how robots can help people recover from serious injuries. Perhaps not quite the Doctor Robot you may be picturing (sorry!), but just as fascinating. Maegan works on assistive rehabilitation technology and studies how different robotic techniques can enhance human mobility. At the moment, she's working on a balance-detection device. Claudia works on helping healthier patients walk using less energy with the help of an exoskeleton for ankles. They also have a message for girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM): “Don't give up. We need you!” Charlotte Crang also speaks with guest expert Jeremy Wagstaff, who provides listeners with a somber take on how robots could disrupt the workforce if governments don't ensure people are reskilled.

Back at school, reporter Ellie Clifford remembers being taught that what you put on social media could limit future job prospects. Then things changed: social media became integrated into workflows, consumer attention-spans shortened and intuitive platforms turned social spaces into business tools. Ellie, who studies broadcast radio and works in production, volunteered to investigate how young people think about their online presence because she works on creating content for distribution online. “It's all about storytelling, and while there is an issue with filters, if you think about it as a mechanism to tell stories with artistic flare, then it's a really great tool.” Then things changed again as social media became an important part of people's personal and professional lives. The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has forced both consumers and companies to rethink how data is managed. Ellie sat down with mass communication students Liberty Phelps and Amber Miller, who present a radio show called “Red, Red, Whine” and rely on social media to promote and develop their projects. She also met Malak Obaidi, a social media influencer who has found working partnerships through her YouTube channel and Instagram account, and who does presenting and social media takeovers to help companies reach audiences — work that didn't exist 15 years ago.

In the grips of the worst economic recession in the Western hemisphere, Venezuela has spiraled into a full-blown crisis. Inflation has made the most basic goods and services impossible to afford. Passionate about the Spanish language and Latin America, reporter Megha Thomas decided to look into the state of affairs in Venezuela. She reached out to two young Venezuelan woman to ask how the crisis developed over the years. Stephanie Alex left Venezuela and won asylum in the United States. She made the decision not to return to Venezuela for university because censorship laws would limit her ability to pursue a career in journalism. Stephanie recently graduated with a journalism degree from The American University of Paris. Valentina Salazar had a similar experience. Her parents urged Valentina and their youngest son to go abroad after repeated kidnapping threats and even attempts. She is now living and working in Spain. Her parents remain in Venezuela and are trying to maintain their local clinic. But is there a light at the end of the tunnel for Venezuela, and what can the world do to respond? Megha turned to former Reuters Latin America editor Bernd Debusmann for his opinion on what short-term and long-term solutions are available.

Interested in identity and gender, Giuliana Nicolucci-Altman spent a summer studying in Jerusalem trying to “understand how communities of fundamentally differing ideologies can potentially find compromise and live together in harmony.” At Hebrew University's Rothberg International School in Jerusalem, Nicolucci-Altman met Student Life director and LGBTQ+ campus representative Ira Kirschner to learn about resources and support available to the city's gay community. That led her to the Video Hub, the only gay bar in Jerusalem and a place where anyone, of any religion, can be themselves. Ira introduced Giuliana to local gay rights activist Eyal Lurie-Pardes, who identifies as bisexual and used to work at the Video Hub. An active member in the gay community, Eyal spoke about being open in deeply conservative and religious areas of Israel.

In our last episode for Season One of The Kids Are Alright, reporter Savannah Jenkins meets up with China expert David Schlesinger to discuss Beijing's One Belt One Road initiative in light of trade frictions with the United States. While a shaky trade truce may now be in place, the relationship between China and the United States is under strain. “I don't think China knows what to expect from the United States, but they certainly can't rely on the U.S. as they have been able to in the past,” says Savannah. After speaking with Schlesinger about One Belt One Road, Savannah turned to friend and former colleague Marco De Nobili. A recent graduate of Roskilde University, Marco completed his thesis on how the One Belt One Road initiative reflects domestic support in China for globalization. Savannah asks Marco if an increase in populist and protectionist sentiment in Western countries may encourage China to launch other such initiatives.