|
The issue of caring for Asbury Park's children was the
pretense for a column in the current TriCity issue. Here's the real
deal.
==============================================
Has civil discourse in America come down to "You
suck!"?
"Cheap Shots and Low Blows: How Debate Turns to
Hate" explores the level of debate in America, and how it
affects kids.
Nick New with Linda Ellerbee: airs Sunday, November 5 at 8:30 p.m. on
Nickelodeon.
I've seen clips from the show, and it looks promising. Just as much
for us adults. "Out of the mouths of babes..." Lots of insight from
the kids.
===========================================================
Press Release excerpts:
The noise keeps getting louder, and the gloves keep coming off. And
not just in politics.
"The question of how we, the people, are going to behave to one
another in the public arena when we disagree is an important one," said
Ellerbee. "Kids can't escape the messages we're sending. Do we need to examine
those messages? If we can't all play nice, can we at least play fair?"
In Cheap Shots and Low Blows, Ellerbee and Nick News sit down with
kids from across the country to talk about where we should draw the line when we
disagree. Should we be more polite, or does civility only mask true feelings?
Regarding politics, what's fair and what's a cheap shot? When is an
ad an attack ad? Is the current level of debate a symptom of a new cultural
divide, or just business as usual? The kids look at current and past campaign
ads, the tone and words used on talk shows and in political debate, and whether
television is fueling the fire Nick News also visits Duluth, Minnesota, a city
that has tried to turn the tide on negative rhetoric.
In 2001, Duluth garnered a reputation for being a contentious city.
City council meetings were often nasty screaming matches, until a group called
the Community Foundation created the "Speak Your Peace Civility Project." Has it
worked? Is there a solution? Is there even a problem? After all, mudslinging
isn't new to American politics and disagreement is a central part of the
American way. But have we gone too far? Nick News, celebrating its 15th year, is
the longest-running kids' news show in television history, and has built its
reputation on the respectful and direct way it speaks to kids about the
important issues of the day.
In 2005, it won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming for
its show, From the Holocaust to the Sudan. In 1994, the entire series, Nick
News, won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming. In 1998, "What Are
You Staring At?" a program about kids with physical disabilities, won the Emmy
for Outstanding Children's Programming. In 2002, "Faces of Hope: The Kids of
Afghanistan," won the Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming. In 2004, two
Nick News Specials, "The Courage to Live: Kids, South Africa and AIDS" and
"There's No Place Like Home," a special about homeless kids in America, were
both nominated for the Outstanding Children's Programming Emmy. In fact, Nick
News has received more than 20 Emmy nominations.
SPONSORED LINKS
Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe __,_._,___ |
