The best magazine you've never read (unless you're 12)

When “The Week Junior” arrives in the mail, my 12-year-old son sits down immediately to read it cover to cover. One quick look at its smartly-written articles and eye-catching graphics, I see why he loves it so much. As a former newspaper reporter, I am thrilled at his interest!

The weekly publication, which debuted in 2020, is aiming to instill a habit in young readers that’s already a bygone one for many of their parents. Its very existence gives me hope for the future of journalism, and it doesn’t dumb anything down; coverage has included such high-brow topics as Henry Kissinger’s visit to China.

The magazine is so good that I've pitched feature articles about it but haven't been successful so I am writing about it here (in fact, I started this post more than a year ago, hence the reference to a 12-year-old son. He's now 13!). 

Just like a news magazine or newspaper, The Week Junior covers a little bit of everything, and there are always calls for reader submissions of photos or ideas. Coverage includes tween and teen-friendly topics such as Taylor Swift and the World Cup, in addition to hard news about politics and world events.

I'm writing about it now so that the magazine can attract more subscribers and keep going. It’s hitting newsstands at a time when scores of magazines and newspapers for grownups have closed. I hope it's successful longterm because it's been a wonderful gift for Leo (courtesy of my one-of-a-kind Aunt Marianne).

And of course, the next generation of news consumers needs to be nurtured.

Journalism is at an inflection point and our national digital addiction has also reached crisis proportions. The Week Junior is attempting to instill the habit of reading the news in the next generation at a time when adults as well as children are giving up on print publications. 

I am blogging about this magazine because I want the world to know about it, even if I've been unsuccessful pitching a feature article about it. Maybe another writer will see my post and write about the magazine. Or a parent will subscribe.

This is a magazine any parent would be proud to have in the home, and which furnishes children not only with information about our world but with curiosity about it.

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