Recommendation for a teen who has outgrown the Week Junior

[thirdistheonewiththehairychest]

Hi everyone,
My 14yo dd has had a subscription to the Week Junior since lockdown and is saying that she would like something similar but a bit more age-appropriate.
She really likes the debate-style articles and we are keen that she is reading something that will give her a balanced view (i.e. without a heavy political bias).
There are some near the older-end of this list that I think she might be interested in but I wondered if anyone had any experience of them?

My DD moved on to The Week (adult version) at about that age. We also looked at Oyla, New Scientist and a few other things which I can’t remember.

Forgive my ignorance but can’t she just read the broadsheets and a selection of international newspapers? I would think that navigating The Times / The Guardian / The Telegraph / FT / NYT / Washington Post / reliable newspapers from any other language she speaks, alongside Al Jazeera on a regular basis would give a more or less balanced view? Plus of course any scientific / political / professional journals that seem worthwhile.

I’m not sure that ‘age appropriate’ is the relevant approach to world affairs at 14. She must surly be seeing all sorts online and at school?

When I said age-appropriate, I suppose I meant something that isn't aimed at children. Yes she could read all of those newspapers but I am reluctant to fork out for every single one of them!
I also don't think she has the drive to actively seek out these things. The only reason she has read the Week Junior all these years is because it has plopped through our letterbox every Friday.

Would she read digital versions? If so, joining your local library might help - our library membership gives us access to press reader with all the newspapers and loads of magazines to try out (including the week and new scientist etc)

Absolutely. (I did mean online papers above, not buying them all in print every day!) So either accessing through library membership or just dipping into a limited number of articles per day / week / month and getting a feel for their different political leanings and interpretations of events.

I recall being properly shocked several years ago by a thread saying the school attended by the poster’s children was closing its library. I gather that’s not an isolated case these days. So I guess pupils are deprived of the newspapers and magazines that used to be available there. Do they make them accessible online?

Whatever - I’d point her in the right direction online and then if required, subscribe to one or two and supplement with the free offerings.

I'd just switch it to the Week itself. Its quite readable for a 14 year old.

We switched to The Week at about that age. Also New Scientist, History Today and occasional National Geographic. Financial Times once a week is good for a relatively balanced overview. We also subscribe to The Times app. Now 16, enjoys current events podcasts for the commute to school.