New York Times to Begin Targeting Children
The New York Times has started to develop a digital subscription product for children called NYT Kids.
Executives told Axios that the newest digital subscription product was in the works and will build off the existing NYT Kids print section that was launched in 2017.
“At the highest level, the mission of The Times is to seek the truth and to help people understand the world,” David Perpich, head of standalone products at The Times, claimed.
“Until now, we’ve been focused on a certain age, but that mission isn’t limited to adults or teens,” he said.
Standalone digital subscriptions have been a key part of The Times’ growth and long-term business strategy, according to Axios.
Sarah Adler Hartman, entrepreneur in residence at The Times, said the content will focus on kids ages 8-11.
“There’s a big market of kids out there,” Perpich said.
“There are 33 million households with kids under the age of 18. That’s a large number of people we can create something of value for.”
The children’s product will build on informed feedback from readers of the NYT Kids print section.
It will feature crafts, recipes, experiments and physical activities, according to Hartman.
“Beyond the subscription revenue itself, it’s also a chance to actually start talking to people earlier in their lives before they might be ready for a New York Times product,” Perpich added.
The liberal outlet has been caught in a series of controversies in recent years.
In a podcast series last July, The Times blamed white parents for the failure of public education.
“We know American public schools do not guarantee each child an equal education. Two decades of school reform initiatives have not changed that,” the blurb promoting the podcasts read.
“But what about who the schools are serving? In this five-part series, she turns her attention to what is arguably the most powerful force in our schools: White parents.”
Last year, Nicholas Sandmann, a former student at Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, filed a defamation lawsuit against The Times related to its depiction of his viral encounter with Native American activist Nathan Phillips.
In 2019, the newspaper published an Op-Ed calling for the shaming and exposure of private information about U.S. Border Patrol agents.
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