Newsy Pooloozi is changing its schedule and calling on new kid correspondents and writers to join the podcast in 2024!
Hello and happy new year, everyone! Firstly, we want to say THANK YOU for being such dedicated, steadfast listeners to our wacky world news podcast! It’s a lot of work but a labor of love we’re not ready to give up. However… we ARE going to make some changes to our output in 2024, so have a listen to our special announcement to find out the details. More importantly, we are also opening applications for new kid correspondents and writers to join the Newsy Pooloozi team so we can keep this international curiosity club going! Listen for more details and write to us at contact@newsypooloozi.com if you're interested.
LEELA: Hello, News Pooloozi listeners! This is not an episode of world news but an important announcement.
OPENING STING
LEELA: Hello, 2024! Gosh – how fast did 2023 go?????????????
MAMA: I know, right? I guess after the slow – or different – pace of the pandemic years, we forgot what it was like to really move along at a full-on gallop.
LEELA: Exactly. Except, well, we’re not horses but humans with tons more responsibilities and distractions.
MAMA: Yes, we are busy humans with tons to do. I mean I have two jobs! And Leela – she’s not a little elementary school kid anymore. This girl has a lot of homework now! Never mind basketball, swimming, piano.
LEELA: And my cat. Meoooow! And my friends and I HAVE to find time to listen to Taylor Swift
MAMA: And – unlike podcasts which have a massive team of people working on them you’ve heard those credits – it’s mostly been just the two of us.
LEELA: And this podcast requires a LOT of work. Researching, writing, editing…
MAMA: That’s why we have a very important announcement to make for Newsy Pooloozi in 2024.
SFX OF DRUMROLL
LEELA: No, don’t worry – we are not “hanging up our boots” or should I say, “ draining the pool!”
MAMA: The good one, No! no we are not. Not yet anyway.
LEELA: I mean, how could we? I love this podcast way too much!
MAMA: Same. I do too. And we haven’t stopped being curious about this crazy world we live in. But…
LEELA: But.
MAMA: But, this is a labor of love project. And as much as I’d love to quit my day job and make even more episodes of Newsy Pooloozi –
LEELA: Never mind all those other spin-off ideas we’ve had…
MAMA: Gosh so many I know… Well, until someone says they’ll pay us for this work –
LEELA: Hint, hint – if any investors in children’s programming are listening!
MAMA: Well, we’re going to have to dial it back a bit for now.
LEELA: That’s office-speak for…………… produce fewer podcasts episodes each month.
MAMA: So instead of Newsy being weekly, we’re gonna have to move to producing it… every-other-week!
LEELA: Duuuh-duuuhhn!
MAMA: Well atleast we are not quiting and we are still offering the news just at the slower rate. But, that’s not all.
LEELA: Nope.
MAMA: As we said earlier, this has mostly been produced by JUST Leela and me.
LEELA: Mostly by you. I mean if I’m being honest.
MAMA: Until we got the lovely Jyoti to help with the audio rough cuts and some admin.
LEELA: Yeah – big shout out to Jyoti. Wahoo!
MAMA: Yes thank you Jyoti. Seriously! Thank you! And – we’ve had an intern, Sahasra, who’s helped write probably a dozen maybe even two dozen stories over the last couple of years.
LEELA: Thanks, Sahasra!
MAMA: Indeed. And, while we’re saying thank you. Another journalist mom, Julie – an old colleague of mine mother of our two Spanish correspondents – has recently started helping write stories each week, which I’m deeply grateful for.
LEELA: And there are a few other parents who’ve been helping some too. And the older kid correspondents write the first drafts of their stories now.
MAMA: That’s right. Thank you to all of them!
LEELA: And you got so busy with work just before Christmas, I’m not sure we’d have been able to do it without them.
MAMA: Oh, totally no way. That’s so true. S o thank you to all of those who have been helping us recently. Still, it’s not enough, sadly. Which is why we’re decreasing our rate of output. And…
LEELA: And…
MAMA: Aaaand, we’ve decided to open up the team further. Yes, we are taking applications for anyone else who wants to contribute to this wacky world news podcast of ours.
LEELA: Yep. We’re looking for new kid correspondents from ANYWHERE in the world who want to come on board – pitching, writing and voicing stories happening near them.
MAMA: Or on news subjects they’re passionate about.
LEELA: Like me with Taylor Swift. Yes, I write all our Swifty stories!
MAMA: And that’s not all. I know there are a lot of adults, maybe who are or were in communications or journalism, who might want to help writing or producing episodes.
LEELA: Or help with social media and marketing.
MAMA: Yes, that’s something we’ve really let slip in the last year. Which is a shame because we love to reach new listeners!
LEELA: Totally. I mean, we can’t be the only people curious about our weird and wacky world news. We want more people to join our curiosity club!
MAMA: And we’re even happy to have help with fund raising! But that’s probably next level stuff. But if there’s anyone with experience or wanting to build such experience or portfolio – let us know! Because, basically, we’ve been doing all this on our own for 3 years and, while it’s been seriously rewarding, it’s a lot of work.
LEELA: Speaking of rewarding ! Mention the Harvard thing!
MAMA: Oh. Yeah, well… For the second year in a row, I was asked to address a class of Harvard Education and Pedagogy PhD students to talk about Newsy Pooloozi – as “an example of excellence for teaching OUTSIDE the classroom.”
LEELA: Wahooo! Go Mama, go, Mama!
MAMA: And of course we’ve been listed by the New York Times as one of the 30 Best Podcasts for Kids.
LEELA: And Mashable. And made several CommonSense Media top podcasts lists.
MAMA: Yep. We’re the real deal, but we need help to keep going. So we now want to expand the Newsy Pooloozi team. This is officially our call-out to anyone interested in news for kids, in helping write and produce children’s content specifically world news in an easy and fun manner anyone who is passionate as we about children learning more about their world or anyone who wants to get involved in any of the marketing and social media aspects of Newsy Pooloozi. This is your chance.
LEELA: So, what are you waiting for?!
MAMA: Send us an email expressing your area of interest to contact@newsypooloozi.com.
LEELA: That’s N-E-W-S-Y-P-O-O-L (like a swimming pool, get it?) O-O-Z-I dot com.
MAMA: And, yes, we’re also going to start reading out the credits at the end of our episodes to make sure those involved in keeping this curiosity club alive get full mention!!
LEELA: And with that, we’re over and out this week but promise to be back with the news – the important, the happy and the wacky – next week. Until then – stay curious!
-ends-