Insights from Tracy Kaplan, Founder and Executive Director of The Ten News
Posting: Wednesday, November 19, 2024
Tracy Kaplan is one of the Founders and Executive Director of The Ten News, a weekly podcast that explores topics kids care about most including events, sports, science, gaming, pop culture, entertainment and more.
Kaplan’s career has taken her from WGBH, Boston’s renowned public broadcasting station, to becoming the Head of Creator Partnerships at Patreon, showcasing her expertise across content creation, distribution and monetization. After managing video partnerships with CBS Interactive and Twitter, she turned her attention to podcasts in 2016, stepping into the Senior Director of Podcast Strategy and Partnerships role at TuneIn.
Since then, she’s been fully immersed in this field. With Small But Mighty Media, Tracy combines her professional experience and personal life as a mother of two young podcast enthusiasts, fueling her drive to create engaging, informative content for today’s youth.
To hear more about her experiences, we reached out to Kaplan to share her thoughts.
Tracy Kaplan
Founder and Executive Director
Q. Tell us about Ten News' origins. What inspired you when creating The Ten News and its mission?
The origin story feels like it could have been written today! I started developing the show during the 2020 presidential election when I realized that my kids, who were 8 and 10 at the time, were getting their news from YouTube political ads. Fast forward a few months and we were in the midst of the pandemic and children all over the world were cut off from their friends, teachers, classmates during a very scary and chaotic time.
Having already been in the podcasting industry for a few years, I realized that there was a gap in podcasts for the 8 to 12 year old set and anything covering current events. I love how curious and smart about the world kids can be and I wanted to make a show that spoke to them not at them.
On the podcast, we cover everything from the war in Ukraine to International LEGO Day. The mission of the show is to cover what this age set cares about and to empower them to have enough of an understanding of what is going on in the world that they want to have a further conversation with the members of their households.
Q. What sets The Ten News apart from other news outlets focused on younger audiences?
One key thing is that we’ve created a world around The Ten News and the “newsroom.” While the team is fully remote, in our scripting of the show, the studio is its own character. We bring out listeners into the world and have developed unique personalities to the voices that they hear. This allows for a unique blend of serious news with playfulness and fun.
We’re also committed to making sure kids feel heard and involved, which is why we encourage listener participation and feature segments that reflect their questions and interests.
The show is also one of the only places where authors, actors, and activists can reach this age set. From Dr. Fauci during the height of COVID-19 to more recently, Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, highlighting guests is one of my favorite parts of the show.
Q. What strategies have you used to leverage community-giving funds to tap into larger gifts or donations?
We've focused on building strong, authentic connections with our community and making sure they know the team behind the show. And then, by demonstrating our impact through storytelling—showing how The Ten News is changing the way kids engage with current events—we’ve been able to attract the attention of larger donors. We also prioritize partnerships with organizations that align with our mission and values, which has helped us increase our impact and has opened doors to larger philanthropic opportunities.
Q. Can you share a success story from your community giving efforts that stand out to you?
It was a very special moment when I broadened my fundraising and moved from one one-on-one asks with close connections to a community ask within the podcast. Seeing the listeners motivated to donate on the GiveButter page was very moving and showed that the team and I had truly created something that was providing value in people’s lives.
Q. What are your future goals for The Ten News and how do you see working with a fiscal sponsor like JFP contributing to that growth?
Our future goals include expanding the show’s reach and overall impact. We want to create more opportunities for kids to participate directly in the news-making process, perhaps through community reporting or live events. Working with a fiscal sponsor like JFP can help us scale these efforts by providing us with the financial infrastructure and support we need to secure bigger grants and donations, ensuring that we can sustain and grow our mission.
Is there anything else you want to discuss?
While it is a little easier to make the case for The Ten News during an election year, there is so much going on around the world that kids and families need help breaking down. We are committed to going beyond the headlines and sharing the context behind the news notification that pops up on a phone or iPad. From discussing how to spot misinformation and disinformation to sharing our sources, the show is committed to teaching digital literacy while also having some fun!
About The Ten News: The Ten News, a biweekly podcast that explores topics kids care about most including events, sports, science, gaming, pop culture, entertainment, and more. The Ten News has featured guests such as LEGO Masters Judge Amy Corbett, America’s top doctor Dr. Anthony Fauci, Sarah Natochenny, the voice of Ash Ketchum for Pokemon fans and many more.
Online: thetennews.com
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Media Contact: Rusty Coats, Executive Director | rusty@jfp-local.org | (813) 277-8959
