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How youth editions are explaining the Middle East revolutions

The unparalleled recent events in the Middle East have offered newspapers a chance to make use of their youth pages and supplements to explain a complex situation.

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers(WAN-IFRA) have gathered some examples from around the world.

"Newspapers  yes newspapers  are playing a leading role in providing explanatory journalism for children, who are just as interested and just as concerned about these events as their parents," said Dr Aralynn McMane, Executive Director of Young Readership Development at WAN-IFRA.

The examples, which can be found at the WAN-IFRA website, include:

• A Luxemburg paper that put the events into the context of other anti-régime revolutions;

• Stories from Lebanon about the Facebook link, the peril of burning tires and the crucial role of youth in the events;

• A Brazilian editorial page that made sure children could understand the message about why the press is vital in such a situation;

• French daily and weekly newspapers for children that explained the events and the countries to children as young as age 7;

• An Indian paper that allowed students to write a news of Cairo in a diary format as part of a  'Newspaper Making Contest' issue.

• A Singapore paper that encouraged teachers to explore what would happen if such a protest emerged there;

• A Hong Kong paper whose young columnists wrote about why youth protest.

• A German wire service that explained how journalists work and children live in Egypt.

WAN-IFRA provides a variety of resources to publishers eager to attract younger readers to newspapers, on all platforms, through its Young Reader Network. Full details can be found at  http://www.wan-press.org/nie/join.php