Talking All-Things News with The Week Junior - Ten News Deep Dive

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Ten News Deep Dive: Episode 549

💥It’s the final Deep Dive of Season 5—and we’re going out with a BANG! 🤩 @TheWeekJunior Junior Council joins us to talk all-things news:

🗞️How kids get their news

🧠How kids process news

✅Tips for fact-checking, smart research, and, more!

🤔Plus, a TRIVIATTACK! Ryan, Pam, and Owen challenge the Junior Council with 10 triva questions…

🎧And, Kap is flipping the script and putting Owen to the test on the most listened-to episode of the season!

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Transcript:

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

<SFX Phone rings>

PAM: Thanks for calling the Ten News, this is PAM–

<SFX muffled kid voice on the other end>

PAM: Yes, Russia did launch the war’s largest air attack on Ukraine last week–

<SFX muffled kid voice>

PAM: I know, it is horrible, but Ukraine did manage to strike back in a major way–

<SFX Phone rings>

RYAN: Ten News, you’ve got Ry–

<SFX kid voice muffled> 

RYAN: Ummmm, well the tariffs are kind of…happening. I’m not sure actually. President Trump says they are happening but the US Court of International Trade just ruled that his tariffs are illegal…

<SFX kid voice muffled>

RYAN: Well she didn’t call him a Taco, the reporter asked about the acronym that economists are using, TACO which stands for Trump Always Chickens Out–

*********

<SFX Phone rings>

PAM: Hi, it’s the Ten News… Yes, we’ve heard about that executive order-–

<SFX Phone rings> 

RYAN: Hi, it’s Ry, this is the–actually, please hold! Pam. Paaaam! 

PAM: One sec, please hold. What’s up, Ry?

RYAN: Are you feeling a little overwhelmed with the chaotic nature of the news right now? 

PAM: Oh I’ve been overwhelmed, I’ve just been ummm, powering through. It’s been non stop. 

RYAN: RIGHT! And Summer break is around the corner…I feel like we gotta help the Ten’ers before we take the Summer off.

PAM: I’m with that. Should we call in some special forces? 

RYAN: YES. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! 

<SFX Crickets>

PAM: I was actually thinking of calling some friends from the Week Junior, the weekly news magazine for kids…

RYAN: THE WEEK JUNIOR?! That’s even better. How do you know all the cool people?!

PAM: Because I’m Pamela Kirkland.

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard. It’s Friday, June 6th.

PAM: This is a Ten News Deep Dive–

RYAN: And the LAST Deep Dive of Season Fiiiiiive. 

INT. SNACK ROOM

<SFX Ryan rustling snacks up>

PAM: Ryan, calm down, they’re colleagues of ours. We do very similar things that they do–

RYAN: I know but we gotta show them a good time if they’re coming by OUR studio…I’ve prepared some Pepperoni Pizza Pepper Poppers, it’s a recipe I got from the Week Junior…WAIT, is that cringe to make food that was featured in their magazine? Am I fanboying too hard…?

PAM: You’re good Ry, they’ll love these. 

<SFX footsteps walking up> 

MINERVA: Hey Pam!

LUCAS: Whatup Pam!

PAM: Hey there! Welcome to the Ten News!

RYAN: WELCOME WEEK JUNIORS! 

PAM: Ry, they’re members of The Week Junior’s Junior Council! 

RYAN: That is so cool! I do know The Week Junior is the fastest-growing magazine in America right now! I’m honored to have you here…Would you like some popperoni pepper pizzas?  

AUGUSTUS: WAIT. Do I smell Pepperoni Pizza Pepper Poppers…?

RYAN: Yup! That’s what I meant. I’m Ryan…

AUGUSTUS: Dude, we know who you are, we love the Ten News. Why do you think we stopped by? I’m Augustus.

MINERVA: I’m Minerva.

LUCAS: And I’m Lucas. 

RYAN: How old are you all?

AUGUSTUS: I'm 13. 

LUCAS: I'm 13 

MINERVA: and I'm 11.

RYAN: And what do you all do with the Week Junior exactly?

LUCAS: Um, so as junior council members, we get a sneak peek of the up the cover of the upcoming magazine that will come out that week, and we get to talk and meet some of the editors of certain sections of the magazine, like, uh, or people that review and fact check the information. That's in the magazine. Um, one of my favorites was meeting, um, the pastry chef Duff Goldman. Um, it was, uh, really interesting to listen to his stories about how he decided to stop graffiti and start baking and he, it was very inspiring.

PAM: Where do you all get your news? Do you read it, listen or watch? 

LUCAS: Um, I read most of my news from the week Junior magazine and, um, because, um, specifically the sports and entertainment section and the around the world section, I also get some of my news when my dad watches tv or I'm just scrolling on the internet.

MINERVA: Um, so I, us, I mean, my news comes from the finest news source, The Week Junior, uh, and it's parent magazine the week. Um, I also listen to the 10 news, um, and I read mainstream, uh, news publications such as The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Yeah, I, um.

AUGUSTUS: Mostly read my news as well. Um, of course I read the week, junior and the week 'cause they're both very well informed and I listen to the 10 news as well.

RYAN: And how do you all digest your news? For me, it feels like a constant influx of information and can kinda be overwhelming sometimes. Do you talk about it with your families at home too?

AUGUSTUS: Um, I don't watch, I do talk to my parents.

LUCAS: Um, I try not to watch too much of the news, um, because it does become overwhelming and, uh, but I like to read the Week Junior because they make sure not to overwhelm us kids with too much news. I also talk about it with my family. In fact, my dad recently started watching less news because he was getting too overwhelmed. Um, the news is definitely a lot and after I read something, you know, I just kind of sit and think about what I just read. Um, and it definitely is a lot. And so so metimes, you know, you have to be able to take a mental health break and just recognize that, okay, maybe this won't be like good for my feelings right now and maybe I should. Wait a bit before I read another article or something. And I definitely discuss it with my family too, because I, we all believe that it's very important to stay, um, updated and current on current events. Yeah. Um, I do sometimes feel overwhelmed by the news 'cause it's a lot a lot's happening right now. And the best strategy I have is definitely talking to my parents. 'cause when the news is a lot to digest, they, um, make it a lot more simpler for me and just lay down the facts. So that we're all on the same page. Um, and we're all well-informed, so that's not too much.

PAM: Why do you think it’s important to discuss current politics? 

MINERVA: Um, I think it is important to be current because you have to be able to make informed decisions and, you know, be able to talk about it with your peers if you wish. And it's kind of your civic responsibility because as a citizen, you know, you have to make decisions. And as we get older, um, it'll become more relevant. So it, while sometimes the big stories may not affect you, it's important to know what's going on. Um, I agree with what Augustus said, and also it's important to have the correct facts so that you can correctly base your opinions because you shouldn't go around spreading propaganda about what's happening because, um, if you're talking about it with your peers, um, they might take facts off of you if they're incorrect. So it's really important to also filter your news. 

RYAN: And what advice would you give to our listeners on how to research topics and fact check stories that they’re interested in? 

AUGUSTUS: Um, I think trusted sites, um, dot gov.edu are awesome. Um, and while this might not always be true, it's a decent rule of thumb. If a lot of sources say one thing and then another one says a completely different thing, you can probably trust the majority. So I'd say for the most part there's safety in numbers, but that might not always be true. Um, and I think this is really disappointing and sad that not everything is trustworthy. Yeah, couldn't have said it better. Um, these days, I, I mean everyone is just flooded with so much information, um, all the time and it's hard to distinguish what's fact and what's fiction, so just go and fact check and, you know, see, um, yeah, basically distinguish what is real and mistake by crosschecking.

PAM: This has been so interesting and helpful. I’m glad you were able to come by.

RYAN: Before you leave, do you three like trivia? Because I just had an idea…

MINERVA: Ummmm, of course we like trivia. 

LUCAS: About as much as we like Pepperoni Pizza Pepper Poppers.

AUGUSTAS: Btw, you did a really great job with this batch. <SFX bites and chews>

RYAN: LETS GOOOOOOOO

INT. TRIVIA ROOM 

RYAN: Alright we are BACK and we are going to change things up today… We’ve still got the Week Junior Junior Council here and I think we gotta give them a challenge. What do you think Pam?

PAM: The Week Junior is our favorite kids magazine, so I’m curious to test your skills, with a little help from our Trivia Master, Owen. 

OWEN: Hey Minerva, Augustus, and Lucas, it’s an honor to meet you, I’ve read the Week Junior since I was 7 years old.

MINERVA: Whatup Owen, love your Trivia Throne! 

RYAN: Don’t get too friendly! This is a new game I just made up and it’s called… TRIVIATTACK. We’re going to ask you TEN trivia questions ranging from history, to basic knowledge, pop culture or our biggest stories of the school year…and you are going to answer them. IF YOU CAN. 

OWEN: They can definitely answer them, Ry. They’re pros! 

RYAN: WE SHALL SEE! The Week Junior, are you ready?

KIDS: Yeah!

RYAN: Pam and Owen, are you ready? 

PAM/OWEN: YUP!

RYAN: Pam, start us off with question number 1…

PAM: President Trump was inaugurated on January 20th,  2025 and became the 45th AND 47th President… but who was the 43rd and 44th president of the United States?

<SFX buzzes in> 

MINERVA: Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Oh shoot. Wait. Hold on. Oh, no, I, this is, I'll say, this is a trick question when I read through it, because I thought it was 45. Oh my God. Wait, did I write this question wrong? 'cause technically, George W. Bush is 43 and Obama is 44. Trump is only 45 and 47 because he skipped a term. Yeah. Yeah. Wait, okay, so everybody wins? No, you got it. That was correct. Ryan apparently made this a lot harder than he thought he was making it. That's too funny. Uh, yeah. So apparently the trivia attack is already in full swing. 

<SFX Ding!>

RYAN: Owen you’re up.

OWEN: What is a tariff? 

MINERVA: Attacks enforced by the government on goods being imported to our country. Wow, that was 100% correct.

OWEN: Pope Francis passed away this year and soon after, Pope Leo XIV was elected…but what is his birth name?

LUCAS: Robert Provost.

<SFX Ding!>

RYAN: Alright, calm down Week Junior…Pam hit ‘em with a sports question!

PAM: Who were the NCAA Men’s and Women’s March Madness Champions?

MINERVA: The Yukon Huskies for both men and women's is, is that correct? I don't actually remember right now.

PAM: Yukon did win for the women, but Florida for men.

<SFX Ding!>

RYAN: My turn! The Nintendo Switch 2 just launched on June 5th… Can you name TWO Switch 2 games that were available on launch day? 

MINERVA: Um, I think it was the legends of Zelzah.

<SFX Ding!>

PAM: Okay, y’all are crushing this game.

OWEN: Which movie premiered on November 21st, 2024 and was based on a hit Broadway musical? Hint: Part 2 comes out later this year…

MINERVA: Wicked!

<SFX Ding!>

PAM: The LA Wildfires were the most devastating natural disaster in California’s history…can you name one of the towns impacted? 

LUCAS: I know a, I, um, one of them I think was the, the Palisades.

<SFX Ding!>

OWEN: What disease was a major contributing factor to the egg shortage?  

AUGUSTUS: I got it. That was the Bird Flu.

<SFX Ding!>

PAM: A baby pygmy hippo became a tik tok star last fall, what was its name?

MINERVA: Um, I think it was Muang. Yes. That was our favorite baby Pygmy hippo.

<SFX Ding!>

RYAN: THAT IS ENOUGH! And that was… TRIVIATTACK

OWEN: Dude. The Week Junior crew CRUSHED it.

KIDS: (Responds)

PAM: Thank you all for joining us and sharing all your insights. We hope you all have a tremendous Summer and come visit again soon!

KIDS: (Thanks everyone)

<SFX Trivia Room door opens>

KAP: HELLO. OWEN. 

OWEN: Ahhhhh! Hello, Mothership. 

KAP: Welcome to the Trivia Room…

OWEN: Wait, what are you doing?

KAP: I’m turning the tables and challenging you, since this is the last Deep Dive of the season… 

OWEN: Oh really… Well I’m unstumpable…

KAP: Alright, want to step up and defend your throne? 

OWEN: Absolutely. I was born ready and you would know. <SFX: Drum snare for this bad joke>

<SFX TRIVIA INTRO>

KAP: Season 5 of the Ten News is just about done, and by the end we’ll have made 50 episodes this season. Of the 50 episodes this season, which topic was our most listened to episode…?

1. Nintendo Switch 2

2. The LA Wildfires

3. The Election Special

4. Do Our Brains Need Break

OWEN: Okay that’s actually a tough one… Ummmmm… (Answers)

KAP: (can you fill your response in, mentioning our top episode and saying something about it?) I am very impressed you knew that. 

OWEN: It was an educated guess! 

KAP: Well, do you also know which one was the most listened to of all our episodes this season?

OWEN: It was my personal favorite. Let's talk Lego.

OWEN: Thank you very much! Hey Ten’ers, if you want to step up to the trivia throne, send us an email at hello@thetennews.com!  Thanks for listening, Ten’ers. Bye.

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

RYAN: Pam, can I just tell you, I love it when you introduce me to people as cool as the Week Junior Junior Council. That was AWESOME. 

PAM: And I love it when you share your video games with me, I can’t believe you’re lending me your Switch 2 for a whole month! 

RYAN: A month?! I thought we said a week! Maybe we should just do one day, or like an hour, probably…? 

PAM: Alright, let’s do… 5 days. It’s like a Week, but Junior. 

RYAN: DEAL. I’d like to show you some tricks for Mario Kart World, but I think we should give Ten News Snaps to one of our listeners…

PAM: And before that, here’s a quick note for the grownups…
<AD BREAK>

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!

PAM: A Ten’er named “hallo” said, “Best everrrrrrrr! We need more of this in the world. 4 anyone that is thinking about listening, I highly suggest it to anyone!” Thank you so much for that kind suggestion! 

RYAN: Hallo, I think YOU are the best everrrrrrrrr! And we appreciate you! 

PAM: And two extra notes for the grown-ups, you can now get ad-free versions of our episodes when you join the Ten’ers Club on our website. 

RYAN: And if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support!

PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.

RYAN: The Ten News creative team is trying to say Pepperoni Pizza Pepper Poppers five times fast and includes Tracey Not a Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas and Carson Not So Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen, Not Slowin Down for Anybody and the Week Junior Junior Council for stopping by.  

PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Not Dim But Albright and show creator Tracy Takes the Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland.   

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, thanks for listening to this Ten News Deep Dive.