What If Children Created News and Media?
An Interview with Youth Reporter Nadia Rosendahl
Ottiya Magazine
From the Ottiya Magazine
This article explores what happens when children are trusted not just as media consumers, but as creators. Through the voices of youth reporters and mentors, we reflect on learning, curiosity, and the power of children-led storytelling.
Listening to Children as Media Creators
What would the world look like if children created the news?
What kinds of stories would they tell—and what questions would they ask? These questions connect closely with our earlier reflection, What If Children’s Voices Were Taken Seriously?, where we explored why listening to children is a powerful starting point for meaningful learning.
At Ottiya, we believe these questions matter. To explore them, we spoke with Nadia Rosendahl, a Grade 5 student and Youth Reporter for the Capital of Children in Billund, Denmark.
Nadia is part of a program that empowers children to research, interview, and report on real-world topics—treating their perspectives not as “practice,” but as meaningful contributions to public dialogue.
Learning by Doing: Reporting from a Child’s Perspective
In our interview, Nadia shared what it’s like to work as a youth reporter: preparing questions, interviewing professionals, and presenting stories to adult audiences. Through this process, children aren’t just learning communication skills—they’re learning confidence, critical thinking, and responsibility.
Also featured in the interview are:
- Cecile Nisgaard and Mette M. Martensen, mentors from the University of Southern Denmark
- Morten Møller, Senior Program Manager for the Capital of Children’s Play, Learning & Creativity programs and Project Manager of the Youth Reporter course
Together, they support children in developing journalistic skills while honoring their curiosity and viewpoints.
🎧 Listen to the Interview
Click the play button below to listen to our conversation with Nadia and her mentors.
Children Asking the Questions That Matter
As part of the Youth Reporter program, Nadia and her peers created a series of mini-reports for Confederation of Danish Industry. Their task was to explore why production companies struggle to attract young people—and women—to manufacturing and technical careers.
The youth reporters didn’t shy away from big questions:
- What is it really like to work in a factory?
- Is it boring to work with robots and computers all day?
- Why don’t we see more women in these roles?
Their videos were screened at a major conference attended by hundreds of executives and decision-makers—placing children’s perspectives at the center of an adult-dominated conversation.
📺 Watch an example of Nadia’s reporting below:
Why Children’s Voices Matter
When children are given real responsibility and a platform, they bring honesty, creativity, and clarity that adults often overlook. Programs like the Youth Reporter initiative show what’s possible when education moves beyond simulation and into authentic participation. These ideas trace back to Ottiya’s earliest reflections on community and connection, explored in Community: The Heart of Ottiya’s Beginning.
At Ottiya, we believe learning becomes meaningful when children are trusted as thinkers, creators, and contributors—not just future adults, but active participants today.
Explore more from the Ottiya Magazine and discover how our early ideas continue to shape our work today.
Today, that same spirit lives on through Ottiya’s courses, songs, and stories—designed to help kids learn through creativity, connection, and play.
