Australia’s only national newspaper written specifically for children (aged 7-14), comes out on April 25, 2016.

I have been honoured to be a part of this exciting new publication! Launching a printed newspaper in this day-and-age may seem a little risky. Most newspapers are quickly going down the gurgler (I’ll direct your attention to recent events in Fairfax Media).

A newspaper for children is well overdue and very, very exciting!

I finished my journalism degree at the University of Sydney, and returned from overseas in January. I was going through the process of applying (and being rejected) for every cadetship and internship in the business.

Then I saw Crinkling’s editor, Saffron Howden, discussing her new endeavour on ABC.

I absolutely fell in love with it! A newspaper for children – why had no-one else thought of that?

My exposure to journalism as a child was directly responsible for my decision to pursue the profession in adulthood. 

I started kindergarten in 1999. That makes me the last generation to attend school in two millennia, a fact I was very unaware of until much later.

1999 was also the year of the East Timorese Crisis. And that’s what I remember.

When other kids were watching cartoons, I was watching ABC’s rolling coverage on East Timor.

I didn’t fully understand what was happening – I don’t think I could even point to East Timor on a map by that stage.

But I remember asking my parents, teachers and really anyone else who’d care to listen, what was happening over there? For perhaps the entire year, it was the only thing I spoke about.

I knew it was going to affect Australia, but I didn’t know how.

No-one gave me answers. My teacher told me I didn’t need to worry about that, she even told my parents she thought it was unwise to let me watch the news.

I felt like information was being censored – not that I had the vocabulary to express that then.

Perhaps, if Crinkling News was around twenty years ago, I wouldn’t have become so frustrated. Or maybe I needed that frustration to send me down the path that would eventually lead to my involvement with the Crinkling. We’ll never know.

All I know is this: the news is far too important to leave children out of the discussion.

So, do you have kids aged 7-14?

Are you a primary school teacher looking to help your class form balanced opinions about the world?

Or are you, like me, an adult who often finds it hard to admit that I just don’t always understand what’s happening around me?

Be embarrassed no longer! Crinkling News  is here to help.