• Being a mother of four, I seem to never have time to listen, read or watch the news. As a matter of fact, I would be completely clueless about what’s going on, in the outside world, if it weren’t for our Sunday evening dinner conversations. It’s more like a news conference. Everyone picks a topic of interest, does their research and is expected to report back to us live, at our Sunday dinner. They each give a five minute segment, which is then followed by five minutes of discussion.

    I generally cover family events, trips, upcoming birthdays, etc., while my husband tackles the major news events, of course while putting his own political spin on it. Luckily, we’re diverse enough that each member of the of the family has a different topic, which makes our “news” a lot more interesting. Plus, it’s not a dreadful chore for anyone, since it’s a topic which they already enjoy. My oldest, who loves wildlife, discusses animal interests, while my other children choose topics ranging from military events, environmental interests and even architectural updates.

    The best part for me is how different each of them cover their story. They seem to be more passionate and involved in their topics to the point where you can tell that they want to do something to contribute and improve the field. Furthermore, it helps develop their public speaking skills, while becoming a subject matter expert in the topics they choose. For example, my ten year-old son, who’s obsessed with the military, covers causalities, unsung heroes, and everyday difficulties that military families face, which rarely comes to light in primetime news. It’s not something we think about on a daily basis, but this helps us think about it and appreciate the sacrifices others have made for the freedom that we enjoy. Everyone wins since the topics are endless and we learn from each other. Plus, we don’t fall prey to the hype created by mainstream media, which may only disseminate news that they want the public to hear. To tell you the truth, I don’t even care to listen to regular news anymore. The news we choose to cover is more informative, interactive, sincere and tailored to our needs. It’s more meaningful than anything I’ve ever seen on any media station!