It's Not Too Soon To Talk to Your Kids about Bad Journalism

On the F Train this morning, I was sitting next to a little boy about four years old. Shortly after they got on the train, his mother offered him the New York Times and said, "Here. Do you want to read the paper?" After struggling with it on his lap for a minute the boy said, "Why is the paper so hard to read?"

"Well, there's a lot of news to print. Open it up. It's big." Further struggles from the boy who says, "I wish it were like a book." Pause. "Mommy, do you want to read the stories and tell me if they're true?"

"No, no. That's the other paper."

"What other paper?"

"The Tabloids."

"What's a Tabloid?"

"The Post."

"Oh."