Meet People Directory - Financial

Newsweek, Weekly Reader Collaborates on 'Teen Newsweek'

5/23/2004

NEWS FROM WEEKLY READER
200 First Stamford Place, PO Box 120023
Stamford, CT 06912-0023 March 10, 1999

Contact for Interviews: Peter Bergen, President, Weekly Reader 203-705-3667 or
Sandra F. Maccarone, Editor In Chief, Weekly Reader, 203-705-3452

NEWSWEEK, WEEKLY READER COLLABORATES ON 'TEEN NEWSWEEK'

TEEN-ORIENTED NEWSMAGAZINE
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE

New York -- Newsweek and Weekly Reader Corporation have agreed to collaborate in the publishing of Teen Newsweek, a new teen-oriented newsmagazine for students in grades six through nine and teachers nationwide. The announcement was made by Newsweek Chairman and Editor-In-Chief Richard M. Smith and Weekly Reader President and CEO Peter E. Bergen.

Launched in September 1999, Teen Newsweek is written and designed to deliver current affairs and events to classrooms faster than any other student magazine -- allowing for teachers to present the news while it's still fresh.

"The weekly magazine combines Newsweek's global news reporting and editorial expertise with Weekly Reader's curriculum knowledge and well-respected reputation among educators," Smith said. "Each issue of Teen Newsweek will link 'real-world' issues in the news with what kids are talking about in the classroom."

"The teachers we spoke with understand and recognize the value of bringing together two publishing giants each with distinctive expertise," Bergen said. "We're confident that Teen Newsweek will get teens to talk about, understand and form their own opinions about news issues."

Initial plans call for the eight-page newsmagazine and corresponding four-page teacher's guide to be published weekly, 26 times during the school year. Newsweek will provide the late-breaking news content; Weekly Reader will select, edit and design the stories to make them appropriate and appealing for this audience. Weekly Reader will also develop the teacher's guides that link issues to the curriculum and distribute Teen Newsweek to classrooms.

To help keep kids involved with the news all year long, the program includes four bonus issues delivered to students' homes during the summer recess.

Moreover, Weekly Reader and Newsweek's respected Web sites (Newsweek.com and teennewsweek.com) will supplement the new magazine by providing students with comprehensive access to information, resources and related interactive material.

For more than 30 years, Newsweek has provided support to educators through the Newsweek Education Program and continues its strong presence in grades nine through 12 and colleges nationwide, said Newsweek Publisher Carolyn Wall. The NEP offers Newsweek magazine together with curriculum assistance and teaching resources to educators, particularly in social studies and English. "Teen Newsweek will help young teens to better understand the news today, as well as prepare them to understand the regular Newsweek edition," Wall said.

Established in 1928, Weekly Reader is the leading publisher of magazines designed for teachers and students. It now publishes seven grade-specific editions for elementary and eight subject-specific magazines for middle-and high-school students. Today, nearly 10 million students in grades preK to 12 are exposed to Weekly Reader publications every week. Its publications are used in nearly 90 percent of all school districts in the U.S. Weekly Reader is headquartered in Stamford, Ct. Teen Newsweek will mark the company's ninth grade-specific magazine designed for middle-and high-school students.

Founded in 1933, Newsweek provides comprehensive coverage of world events with a global network of correspondents covering national and international affairs, business, society, science & technology, and arts & entertainment. Headquartered in New York, Newsweek has 22 bureaus located in the U.S. and around the globe. Newsweek publishes three English-language editions and currently has five international editions under license, of which four are foreign language -- Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish. Newsweek's circulation is more than 3.2 million in the U.S. and more than 4.3 million worldwide. Today, the magazine appears in more than 190 countries. It holds more prestigious National Magazine Awards, given by the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), than any other newsweekly.

Terms of the agreement between Newsweek, a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company, and Weekly Reader Corporation, a PRIMEDIA Company, were not disclosed.