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It’s too early to close the crypt on cryptocurrency
The collapse of several big players last year raised questions about the survival of cryptocurrency. But let’s not dig the grave yet on digital currency.
Decoder: Investing in water isn’t money down the drain
Turn on the tap, and the world’s most valuable commodity pours out. To fight climate change maybe we need to invest in water like we invest in stocks.
Decoder: The United Nations struggles to be the world’s peacekeeper
Where diplomacy balances demagoguery should one nation be able to veto the votes of 192 others? Giving peace a chance might just be too much to ask.
For 2023 let’s agree. We need a new climate change narrative
Climate change anxiety is manifesting in teen mental health. They know our planet is in serious trouble. Let’s help them spot some solutions.
Where has News Decoder taken you in 2022?
News Decoder correspondents help us understand what happens across the globe. Let’s test your knowledge from the stories they reported this past year.
Selling what we search: How SEO puts products on your pages
Algorithms that track the terms we plug into search engines determine what appears on the pages we pull up. Why does that feel so creepy?
Decoder Podcast: A conversation with student Luna Lee
For one student at Miss Porter’s School in the United States, writing is a way to tell the world about education in China.
Here are lessons I’ve learned from News Decoder
News Decoder has been a return to roots for me — a startup with slim financial returns that belie both its social worth and the joy of working with youth.
Decoder: On a warming Earth, some look to space for Planet B
Oh Tang! If our seas rise too high there’s exoplanets to settle. But hope you like freeze-dried food, because it’s a long trip out there.
When you teach climate change, the Writing’s on the Wall
News Decoder has launched a series of projects, funded by the European Union, to help teachers integrate climate change into the classroom.
Bags o’ tea & speech that’s free: Our story contest winners
Two articles, a podcast and a personal essay — the winners of our latest Storytelling Contest come from three schools on three continents.
Can we prevent social media from harming our mental health?
Social media can harm a young person’s mental health. Can youth be taught to use the platforms responsibly and avoid excessive consumption?
I want to be a ‘winner’ who leaves the world a better place
I often wondered what it means to be a ‘winner.’ Now I know a winner sees a problem and, with teamwork, finds solutions.
Story competition challenges teens to profile people saving the planet
Winners of a worldwide competition will get cash prizes as well as coaching from News Decoder and publication on the News Decoder site.
Home away from home in Spain, my clandestine paradise
It’s the serenity and commotion that I love about Spain. I must seize the day because I will never again be 17 running around a Spanish city I love.
I draw to be far from worries, to release my imagination
Delord Herwane has drawn pictures since he was a child. “It’s a kind of evasion for me — to be far from worries or when there are some family issues.”
Could an Oscar prove there is more to Africa than “Wakanda”?
Outside of Africa, audiences and streaming services generally spurn the thousands of films made in Africa each year. But that could change.
When the going gets tough, don’t hesitate to seek help
When the language of instruction in Rwanda shifted from French to English, I stumbled academically. My father taught me to ask for help when in a jam.
Decoder: How are food and climate change connected?
Food systems contribute greatly to climate change. Cooling the planet might require shaking up our meal plans.
Alumni in the Spotlight: Alexandra Gray
She loves immersing herself in diverse settings and learning foreign languages. Alexandra Gray epitomizes News Decoder’s global mission.
Don’t let writing scare you. It’s just speaking on paper.
Writing should not tie you up in knots. It is no more formal than speaking. Write as you would speak. Think of writing as speaking on paper.
Decoder: Renewables soar, but fossil fuels give no ground
It’s not too late to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy, decarbonize industry and adapt land-use to trap carbon in soil and plants.
Alumni in the Spotlight: Varlee S. Fofana
From living in a refugee camp to starting a nonprofit while at the African Leadership Academy, this News Decoder alumnus aspires to be a writer.
Teens talk about mental health: A Decoder Dialogue
In a Decoder Dialogue webinar, News Decoder gathered five teens from four continents to share their thoughts and experiences around mental health.
I will not let the kids of “Forgotten Schools” be forgotten
My parents bring school supplies and health necessities to rural China. “The Forgotten Schools of Ghost Town” is my calling, too.
Tory chaos shakes UK unity and stirs mockery abroad
Britain’s Conservative Party won a landslide in 2019. Now the Tories and their elite are the butt of jokes overseas as polls point to possible humiliation.
Democrats aren’t the only defenders of democracy in the U.S.
I find a political home in neither the Democratic nor the Republican Party. Instead, saving U.S. democracy is my call to action.
Alumni in the Spotlight: Lughano Bupe Kabaghe
She has launched a nonprofit and researched democracy in Zambia, all while studying in the U.S. This News Decoder alumna has set her sights high.
Decoder: To battle climate change, go local and be vocal
Climate change requires global, systemic action if we are to save Earth. But each of us can help bring pressure for the painful changes needed.
Could Ukraine war spread to space and endanger satellites?
Despite conflicts on Earth, satellites orbit in peace. But use of Elon Musk’s Starlink to aid Ukraine has Russia looking to the sky with hostile eyes.
A woman’s place is on a tank: thoughts about war and sexism
A reporter recalls riding in the first Soviet tank convoy pulling out of Afghanistan in 1988 and considers the barriers women overcame to report on war.
My poetry has a common theme: It is ok to be sad and angry.
Writing poetry helps 14-year-old Jaeda Liddell handle pent-up emotions. She gives voice to the anxieties and concerns of an entire generation.
Decoder: “Greenwashing” poses challenges to investors, consumers
Big business is eager to show its environmental and social credentials. But how can you tell if a firm is genuine — or merely greenwashing?
Should diplomats stay in place during war — or evacuate?
Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Canadian diplomats fled Kyiv, leaving Ukrainian staff behind and raising questions about their role in war.
Military coups, jihadists threaten democracy in West Africa
Soldiers have seized power in Burkina Faso and Mali, setting back democracy as jihadists threaten security in West Africa.
Seoul-bound: Social media makers head to the hub of K-Pop
Social media influencers from Europe and North America are flocking to South Korea’s capital, Seoul, to tap into the K-pop craze and boost earnings.
Decoder: Vulnerable nations to press rich at climate summit
At next month’s climate summit in Egypt, poorer nations coping with disasters will press wealthier states for a fund to help them ride out catastrophes.
Decoder: Tackling climate change with good COPs, bad COPs
For years, governments have engaged in marathon annual talks to try to end global warming. But they often fall frustratingly short.
Can it be legal to use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons?
Russia’s president has raised the prospect of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. That’s a frightful notion. But it might not violate international law.
You may misunderstand Canada, but here’s why it matters.
Canada lives in the shadow of its superpower neighbor. But it’s the U.S.’s biggest trading partner and admits many immigrants. Canada matters.
Decoder: Watch Brazil’s election. The Amazon depends on it.
The presidential election in Brazil means more than the future of the country. The Amazon and the fight against climate change could depend on it.
Publishers look to News Decoder to explain issues to youth
When leading educational publishers look for articles that decode complex issues for youth authoritatively and clearly, they turn to News Decoder.
Decoder: Exchange rates are canaries in the coal mine.
The exchange rates of countries’ currencies such as the U.S. dollar, euro or British pound may seem obscure. But they matter a great deal to all of us.
Decoder: We’ve made progress protecting Earth. So why am I gloomy?
I helped put nature conservation on the global agenda. But now I fear for Earth’s future. Will the next generation save us from disaster?
Being a good global citizen means using inclusive language
English may be the world’s lingua franca, but it can be full of bias. The words we choose can make us better global citizens — or destroy understanding.
What films should an aspiring journalist watch?
Last month we offered a list of books for aspiring journalists. Now, here's a selection of films all news journalism buffs should see.After compiling a list of books for aspiring...
Decoder: With Artemis, US aims to return humans to the Moon
It’s been 50 years since humans walked on the Moon. Now, the U.S. is launching a costly program to return there and possibly pave the way to Mars.
I wish I had thanked Mikhail Gorbachev for changing my life
I was in Berlin in 1989 when the Wall came down. I wish I had thanked Mikhail Gorbachev for changing my life and letting me witness history.
Buried underpants and tea bags help scientists evaluate soil
Swiss citizens are burying cotton underpants and tea bags in their gardens and fields to help scientists assess the quality of soil in the Alpine nation.
Gorbachev: Reflections on a statesman who shaped history
Alternately revered and vilified, Mikhail Gorbachev shaped history as the last Soviet leader. Our correspondents recall his impact and legacy.