Scholastic News Kids Press Corps

The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps is an American news organization for kids. The organization is made up of approximately 50 kid reporters around the United States who report on breaking news and current events. It was founded during the 2000 Presidential Election by Suzanne Freeman. During its inaugural year, kid reporters interviewed candidates and covered the entire election up until the inauguration, bringing the news of the campaign trail to other children around the U.S.

Since then, its kid reporters have interviewed President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, the Jonas Brothers, boy band One Direction, and many other people.

Kid Reporters

The Kids Press Corps consists of around 50 kid reporters covering each region of the United States. Every October, the organization will accept a handful of new applicants as kid reporters. During the year, they cover local and national events in their areas. Their reports and articles are published online on the Kids Press Corps homepage and in Scholastic classroom magazines.

Election Coverage

Scholastic kid reporters have covered four United States presidential elections in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. They have interviewed major candidates including then-Senator Barack Obama, Senator John McCain, and former Governor Mitt Romney. Kid reporters have also reported at primaries and caucuses, Democratic and Republican National Conventions, Election Day, and the Inauguration. Apart from presidential elections, kid reporters have also done extensive coverage of Midterm Elections and interviewed dozens of U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, and Governors. In 2013, Scholastic interviewed several Catholic Bishops and Cardinals and papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.

Scholastic Student Vote

Each election year since 1940, Scholastic has administered the Scholastic Student Vote, a national mock presidential election. The results of the Student Vote have been correct in all but 2 elections (1948 Truman vs. Dewey and 1960 Kennedy vs. Nixon). At the end of the Student Vote, kid reporters have announced the results to the nation on the NBC Today Show in New York City. During the 2012 election, nearly a quarter of a million students participated, the majority voting for Barack Obama.

Tips from the Pros

Kid reporters have also interviewed many other journalists. Their interviews are posted in the Tips from the Pros section. Professional reporters and anchors who have been interviewed for this section include Matt Lauer, Brian Williams, Savannah Guthrie, Meredith Vieira, Lester Holt, David Gregory (journalist), Tim Russert, Robin Roberts (newscaster), Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd, Mike Lupica, Bob Costas, Ken Burns, and Jose Diaz-Balart.

Editors

Suzanne Freeman stayed as Editor for the Kids Press Corps until 2010. From 2010 until 2013, Dante Ciampaglia served as its Editor. The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps is based in the headquarters of the Scholastic Corporation in New York City.

Awards and Recognition

In 2012, the Kids Press Corps won a New Media Award as the "Best in Industry" in the category of News for Kids.

Besides that, its kid reporters have been recognized locally and nationally in newspapers and magazines and on television. Kid reporters from Scholastic have appeared on the NBC Today Show, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and local television stations around the nation.

References