Making news simpler for kids
Grade 9 Maritzburg College learner Muhle Khambule’s passion for news and reaching younger audiences inspired the start of his YouTube channel, where he unpacks news in simple terms for children.
While watching the news during lockdown in 2020, Muhle said he felt there was a need for the news to be made simpler for younger kids to understand.
“We had to watch a lot of the news during the lockdown for school while we studied from home. There was a lot to understand and make sense of, and I began thinking of younger children and how news could be made simpler so that all age groups could understand it. It was something that I spoke to my mother about,” said Muhle.
That was the inspiration for Smashing Kids News, which now has a following of 1300 subscribers on TikTok. A new episode is aired once a school term, on the last Friday of the school holiday. It contains news, music, sport, celebrity news (Celebrity more 2 know) segments, as well as a spelling segment called ‘Vocabulate it’, which focuses on teaching children how to spell and learn the meaning of new words.
The ‘Trendz’ segment also places ongoing world trends in the spotlight.
Smashing Kids News is aimed at children from the age of 12 to 16 and is available on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Muhle is not the only presenter on the online news channel; he has enlisted the help of his friends who were also interested in presenting news.
Muhle said that following the success of his online news channel for children, he knows that it is a stepping stone for a future in the media and entertainment industry.
“I would really want to join a career in the media industry. I can see myself pursuing journalism, and this is a good start,” said Muhle.
He is extremely thankful for the support of his mother in starting Smashing Kids News. “My mother is my ‘momager’ and sponsor. She has believed in me from the time I told her about my idea and she has helped me get this far. I am very thankful for her support and the support of my peers,” said Muhle.
Follow Smashing Kids News on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram: @Smashing Kids News