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10 times news2day made news accessible for all

Updated / Monday, 16 Jan 2023 19:10
In 2013, news2day presenters reunited for the progamme's 10th anniversary
In 2013, news2day presenters reunited for the progamme's 10th anniversary

news2day turns 20 on Friday. To celebrate the milestone, all this week we will be looking back on two decades of the RTÉ News programme for younger viewers in a world that has changed dramatically since the first show aired in 2003. Today we revisit 10 moments when news2day made the big issues of the day accessible for everyone.

February 2014: 'Growing up in a digital world'

'Growing up in a Digital World' was a news2day special looking at the ways young people are using technology and the opportunities and risks it presents. Journalist Conor McNally’s report featured young computer programmers, technology awards, and the changing patterns of internet usage among nine to 16-year-olds.

March 2017: Reacting to Manchester Arena attack

On 22 May 2017, a bomb was detonated as people were leaving the Manchester Arena in England following a concert by American pop singer Ariana Grande, leaving 23 people - including the attacker - dead and more than 1,000 people injured. The following evening, reporter Gill Stedman covered the incident in a sensitive manner for younger viewers.

On the same programme, the team spoke to a representative from the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network, who discussed how younger people could express their fears and worries after the attack.

November 2017 and June 2018: Niamh's wish

In 2017, then sixth-class pupil Niamh Cummins wrote to news2day. In it, she told of her wish to meet another person in Ireland who was living with Tourette's Syndrome. Reporter Tommy Meskill visited Niamh at her school, where she explained what the condition is really like and how people who do not have Tourette's can never understand the way she feels.

The next year, Tommy revisited Niamh and her new friend, 11-year-old Leah Gleeson from Tipperary, who also has Tourette's. Leah said that before she met Niamh, she also felt "alone".

"When I met Niamh, I felt different and I could express my Tourette's Syndrome a bit easier."

While, Niamh said that her dream definitely did come true.

September 2018: Brexit explained

RTÉ News Political Correspondent Paul Cunningham was asked to explain Brexit to children for news2day. His concise explanation of the issues in simple terms has found a much wider audience on social media - and it's not just children tuning in. To date, it has more than 600,000 views on Twitter.

November 2019: Ireland's first Youth Assembly

Delegates from the RTÉ Youth Assembly on Climate met the President of the United Nations General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande and presented him with their statement and ten recommendations to tackle the climate crisis. RTÉ’s John Kilraine reported on it for news2day.

February 2020: Proportional representation explained

In advance of the 2020 General Election, news2day worked to explain the voting system and election issues to children. In this episode, the pupils at Glenbeg National School in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, helped to explain proportional representation, with the help of reporter Aisling Moloney. This video was viewed more than 250,000 times on Twitter.

March 2020: Announcing school closures

The news2day team explained to pupils across Ireland why schools were temporarily closing in order to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Reporter Cillian Sherlock also told viewers what each individual child could do to help prevent the virus from circulating.

January 2021: Explaining mother and baby homes

In early 2021, then taoiseach Micheál Martin apologised on behalf of the Irish Government to those who spent time in a mother and baby home or a county home. He said the report of the Commission of Investigation into mother and baby homes highlighted a "profound failure" of empathy, understanding and compassion over a long period. News2day reporter Aisling Moloney explained the report and the concept of these homes to young RTÉ viewers.

November 2021: Antigen testing

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, antigen tests became a key tool in detecting the virus. At the time, there was some confusion about how these tests were taken. Reporter Mícheál Ó Scannáil visited a local school, where pupils walked through how to take a test.

September 2022: Cost-of-living crisis explained

For most of 2022, young people around the country had heard a lot of talk about the cost of living. Reporter Reem El-Hassany explained the crisis in an accessibly way for everyone to understand.

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