The Ten News Podcast Q&A: I Get To Interview The Co-Hosts!

 The Ten News delivers quality news content to kids 8-12. The Ten News podcast just launched its third season with  a back-to-school special and a helpful explainer of the terms used during Hispanic Heritage Month. Do you know why Hispanic Heritage month starts on the 15th rather than the first? 

I didn't. Well, tune into the episode to find out.

This is how The Ten News describes their podcast: "The Ten News podcast explores topics that kids care about most including events, sports, science, gaming, pop culture, entertainment, and more! With new episodes every Wednesday, it’s a great way for you and your family to stay connected with what’s going on in the world."

  

In its first two seasons, the podcast has produced and released an amazing 129 episodes. With that kind of workload, we were fortunate that The Ten News co-hosts, Ryan Willard and Pamela Kirkland, had some time to talk with us about The Ten News and their role as co-hosts.

Q. My first question for you, Pamela and Ryan, is, why co-host a podcast for children? Pamela, you’ve been a CNN journalist covering breaking stories around the world. Why this? Ryan, you’ve been in children’s programming from Sesame Street to Nickelodeon for what appears to be much of your life. Why this project?

A. (Pamela) I’ve loved news and politics since I was a kid. I remember watching presidential debates when I was 7 or 8 years old. I was really passionate about things that were happening in my community, so much so, that I would write letters to our governor if I was concerned about a project or development. Not only that, but I love the idea of making content for curious kids because I was one of those kids. We had “Nick News,” but I didn’t have something like The Ten that I could listen to and understand what was going on all over the world.

The Ten News Co-Host Pamela Kirkland.

(Ryan) I was just coming off working on a new animated show for Sesame Workshop and while I love telling long-form stories, I found that after we wrote a script, it would be at least two years before audiences saw it. I felt a great urgency to deliver kids the information they needed, right now. And when I learned about The Ten News, I thought it was the perfect platform to connect kids with the events of the world happening around them. 

The Ten News Co-Host Ryan Willard.

Q. You’ve completed 129 episodes in season two. That’s a fantastic accomplishment. How do you manage such a workload?

A. Strong communication and an understanding that time needs to be spent on the operations of a show as well as the creative planning of it. Everyone on the team knows their roles and makes sure that they deliver to not hold up any part of the process.

(Ryan) We have a small, but mighty team that Tracy Leeds Kaplan built and coaches. We’re really lucky that everyone on the team cares, so it’s not just a job for us, it’s our responsibility to inform kids. Also, Tracy loves staying organized and is obsessed with Trello, so she oversees everything and keeps us all on track!

Q. How did you develop the remix idea for episodes and breaking news?

A. (Ryan) The Roe v. Wade episode was actually recorded after we finished Season 2. We had wrapped everything and the news broke, so Tracy called the team together, and we decided that we had to cover it. We brainstormed and figured out what kids needed to hear in order to participate in these conversations with their grown-ups.
The Remix idea came from thinking about anyone taking road trips this summer and wanting to offer some longer episodes on a single theme that could be listened to.

Q. You are both very good at “getting your silly on.” How do you do that?

A. (Pamela) It’s fun! And Ryan has a way of getting the silly out of you. We get to be silly and goofy, but also still tackle some serious stuff.

(Ryan) I credit my silliness to my diet, which consists of Lunchables, fruit snacks, and unicorn tears. Aside from that, I just think about my nieces, nephews, and the kids I know. I keep them in mind when I’m writing or performing and go as far as I can go until Tracy Kaplan reels me back in. And the team we have is really fun and silly themselves, so we’re constantly cracking each other up.

Q. You’ve tackled some controversial topics, from January 6th to Roe and climate change. How do you find that sweet spot to explain these thorny and sometimes divisive issues to children?

A. (Pamela) Kids are smart. Just because it’s hard to explain to kids doesn’t mean they don’t already know about it or have questions about it. These are stories that adults have a hard time explaining to each other. We try to explain what’s happening as plainly as we can. We don’t talk down to our listeners. I think about my 10-year-old nephew. If he wanted to know about something going on in the news, how would I explain it to him?

(Ryan) I think kids will learn about everything we might not want them to learn about. They have more access to information than any humans have ever had, and if they don’t, their friends do. So we aim to give kids the tools to participate in those conversations with each other and their grown-ups. Instead of focusing on the divisive sides of issues, we give them the facts and terminology to figure out how they feel about it.

Q. How about your correspondents? You have a human rights activist trainer, a teen romance novelist, and a documentary expert. How did you find them? How do you leverage their talents?

A. (Ryan) Tracy Leeds Kaplan is kind of like our Nick Fury. She sees a need for things and then disappears and comes back with a superhero that fills that need. She has a tremendous eye for talent and gives our correspondents the time and space to explore and report their stories.

Q. Your production team – from writing to sound design – is incredibly accomplished. New and aspirational podcasters often overlook production values. How do you maintain and enhance such high standards?

A. (Ryan) I believe that attitude reflects leadership. And Tracy Leeds Kaplan comes correct. She has very high standards and isn’t afraid to push back to make sure we maintain them. But she does so with kind words and a positive attitude, and inspires us to be the best we can be.

Q. Can you talk about the roles of Small But Mighty Media and Tracy Leeds Kaplan? How about Next Chapter Podcasts?

A. (Tracy) The show was started by Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts. Next Chapter provides the editing and sound design services of Pete Musto and then the Small But Mighty team handles the rest under Tracy’s direction.

Small But Mighty Media Founder Tracy Leeds Kaplan.

Q. You both have tons of energy when doing the podcast? How do you do that so regularly? Suppose you’re having a bad day before arriving at the studio. How do you put that in the rearview mirror and rev up your enthusiasm and sparkle, for lack of a better term?

A. (Ryan) I certainly have bad days, like most people. For me, when I step into The Ten News, it’s an opportunity to fulfill my mission to help kids be cool, kind, and informed. I put my full focus on that, knowing that when I’m done, I’ll get to deal with the rest of my life. So it’s a wonderful little escape, with a team that is so warm, kind, and talented. Honestly, going to work at the Ten News feels like recess.

Q. I listened to your season three opening episode and loved it. I have a confession, I was a little fuzzy on the whole Hispanic/ Latino/Latinx naming convention. Your explanation was brilliant. In the first episode, you also mentioned some exciting new changes for season three. Can you tell listeners what to expect in this third season?

A. (Ryan) Well, we don’t know what news will be coming…but we do know that The Ten News will now be once a week, a little bit longer, and a bit sillier. And we’ll be exploring the different characters of the Ten News Team! 

A. (Tracy) Pamela has stepped into the hosting chair and will certainly be challenged by resident man child, Ryan. Tessa has a brand new Trivia Throne, where she’ll invite our listeners to come on the show to get quizzed. We’re going to learn more about our editor, Pete, and why he and Ryan have a love/hate relationship. 

A. (Pamela) And our creator, Tracy Leeds Kaplan will be doing some bonus Minisodes where we get to decipher Fact from Fiction. 

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Check out The Ten News podcast. Your children have questions about life. About what's going on in the world. The Ten News podcast offers children 8-12-years-old information about the world around them.  

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Aakshi Sinha