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Top Tips: How to get started making a podcast
Good podcasters make podcasting seem easy. But creating one that sounds natural and makes people want to listen takes planning. Here’s a quick guide.
Among explosions and gunfire, a quiet place to study
As India and Pakistan battle over control of Kashmir. Young people there flock to reading halls. They still have exams to pass.
Decoder Replay: Can Britain and Europe be partners again?
The Labour government wants to renew trade with Europe. The Tories had failed to do that after Brexit. We take a look back at that last attempt.
Should schools limit what kids can read?
Curling up with a good book is a basic pleasure. But these days doing just that might be a political statement.
Do teens gamble on sports? You bet!
Sports betting sites are supposed to be off limits to minors. But odds are, many teens get past the barriers.
Is social media turning our hearts to stone?
Social media is supposed to connect us. But endless scrolling through posts leaves many feeling disconnected.
Kidney disease doesn’t have to be a death sentence
Uganda has a lower rate of kidney disease than the United States. But the mortality rate from it? That’s another story.
Decoder Replay: A global revolution in cancer medicine
We seem to be leaping ahead in cancer prevention and treatment. But will that be only for those who can pay? A doctor prepares a cervical exam. (Illustration by News Decoder)...
What happens if you cross a border you cannot see
As India and Pakistan stare each other down, people who fish around a disputed sea border find themselves caught in a trap.
Decoder: A history lesson on Europe for Donald Trump
For eons, European nations were at war with each other. The formation of the European Union was meant to change that. Isn’t that a good thing, Mr. President?
From the ground in Kenya to the gold stud in the ear
Artisanal gold miners in Kenya work to extract the shiny metal even though doing so poses serious health risks.
Can the sea’s rise be a language’s demise?
As rising sea levels force migration of people, the languages they speak can get dispersed and die out.
Decoder Replay: Australia waltzes with two superpowers
Australia is its own continent but it has key strategic relationships with two big nations that don’t like each other. Political isolation is not an option.
And the winners are…
Grade inflation. Book and cell phone bans. Sports equity. School diversity. How a small town dealts with a world conference. Our storytelling contest winners.
Universities struggle with the speed of demographic change
In academia, a cookie-cutter approach to teaching and learning doesn’t always work when students come from diverse geographic regions, cultures and ethnicities.
Should getting ahead depend on who you know?
Nepotism has a bad name because it gives an unfair advantage to those with connections. But isn’t it natural to get a helping hand from friends or family?
When that dream job turns into a nightmare
Victims of fake job offers in South Asia find themselves far from home, forced to work digital fraud scams with high ransoms demanded for their freedom.
Eliminating grade inflation isn’t as easy as ABC
Critics of grade inflation argue that it cheats students who work hard for grades. But to others, letters don’t represent the many ways a student can excel.
The silencing of America’s voice leaves journalists abandoned
Reporters in South Asia have risked their lives to report stories for Voice of America. Now, these journalists are left exposed and their stories left untold.
Decoder Replay: What happens when tyrants fall from power?
Around the world we see tyrants rising. Once they hold power it is difficult to unseat them. But their fall often leaves a vacuum and chaos.
To combat obesity, let’s change how we measure ourselves
Obesity wasn’t an epidemic when children and teens spent their days running and playing outside. Maybe we need to get them off screens and on their feet.
Silencing voices by banning books
When groups try to keep books off library shelves, they close off young people to new worlds and perspectives.
A pipeline of prosperity or plunder
Will an oil pipeline that would stretch from Tanzania to Uganda bring wealth to East Africa or is it the same old story of exploitation?
What happens to the ski runs when the snow runs out?
With climate change snow packs are disapearing. If we don’t do something to slow it down, the idea of flying down a mountain will be a thing of the past.
Decoder Replay: China-U.S. animosity goes way back
Interlocking economies have turned China and the United States into powerful frenemies. What happens when the illusion of friendship dissolves?
Can we de-stress from climate change distress?
Earth Day reminds us that we need to take care of the planet. But being the Earth’s caretaker puts a mental burden on us that is difficult to handle.
Can we keep live music venues from dying out?
People spend big on megaconcerts. But the audience for local music is shrinking and local clubs are disappearing.
Giving species the space they need
In Punta San Juan, Peru wildlife researchers are working to help boobies, pelicans, sea lions and other animals to not just survive, but thrive.
When the government tells you that you cannot pray
Restrictions on Muslim festivals in India have turned public prayer into an illegal act.
Can young people save local news?
With journalism organizations struggling, a competition seeks to find and honor young people supporting local newsrooms in their area.
Could Trump’s tariffs end up spurring green innovation?
U.S. trade wars could create new alliances around energy independence, and make fossil fuel investments risky.
Are smartphones at schools all bad?
Across the world, schools are banning phones. But parents want to keep connected to their kids and students and some teachers find they can enhance learning.
The mining of sand scars Kenya’s land
The world’s most consumed natural resource after water fuels global construction. But harvesting it strips riverbanks and lakeshores, destroying ecosystems.
News Decoder helps launch digital student journalism tool
By producing news stories and other content, young people master the gathering, assessing and sharing of factual and verifiable information.
Decoder Replay: Globalization peaked before Trump’s tariffs
Both the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted international supply chains. Many thought it was time to bring supplies closer to home.
A tale of two transport systems
In the United States, people are obsessed with cars and highways. In France, a train or bus will get you where you want to go.
The power of posts that tug at your heartstrings
‘Bait-and-switch’ internet scams target us with emotionally-charged posts. But do you know what your friends see when you share those posts with your network?
Top Tips: Why you need to triple check your facts
We all make mistakes but as journalists, we must do everything we can to make sure we report the facts and find the truth.
The one thing that unites French voters
A U.S. student in France wanted to know how French people felt about their government. The common thread he discovered? Mécontentement.
Decoder Replay: The military footprint of the United States
Donald Trump commands some 200,000 U.S.troops in more than 125 military bases in more than 145 countries. Why are they there in the first place?
Decoder: Why some viruses are so difficult to stamp out
We’ve come oh so close to eradicating measles and polio. But more stubborn than the viruses are people who don’t listen to doctors.
When musicians get the blues
Musical artists all over the world suffer from depression and other mental health problems. Can the music industry help them?
Decoder: The Silence of America
As the threat of tyranny rises across the world, the United States has pulled funding of Radio Free Liberty and other networks that broadcast dissident voices.
Too much of what’s healthy can be harmful
We know that consuming a lot of sugar is bad. But what can be wrong with sticking to carrots and celery?
Decoder Replay: A dangerous time for the press
When a journalist traveled from the east to the west of Europe, the level of press freedom was a cultural shock.
As fans flock to women’s football, pay stays out of play
Almost 16 million girls play organized football around the world. Yet most professional players have yet to earn a living wage.
Our navigators in the sea of information
The more confusing the media messages we get, the more we rely on educated journalists to sift through the noise and give us the context we need.
Can fiction help us get to the truth about climate change?
Sometimes, made-up characters can get through to people more effectively than real-life scientists and educators.
Decoder Replay: What stories can teach us about the world
While around the world misinformation and lies abound, in Africa, stories transmit morals, acceptable behavior and universal truths.