Kids Trusted Media Initiative
Put trusted media in front of every child
Building the next generation of informed, curious and lifelong readers.
Children today have access to more content than any generation before them, but much of what reaches them is algorithm-driven, unverified or increasingly generated by AI.
The FIPP Initiative for Kids Trusted Media, bringing together the global media community, is an industry-wide effort to change that.
Our ambition is simple but significant:
To make trusted, high-quality media a meaningful part of every child’s life, and, in doing so, build the next generation of readers.
This is not only an initiative for specialist children’s publishers. It is an opportunity for the wider publishing and news media industry (publishers, content owners, brands, institutions and partners) to rethink how trusted content can reach young audiences.
Why Kids Trusted Media?
Children are growing up in an unprecedented information environment.
They navigate social platforms, algorithms, influencers, advertising and increasingly AI-generated content from an early age. Developing the ability to recognise trustworthy information, understand the difference between fact and opinion, and discover high-quality journalism and storytelling has never been more important.
There is also a fundamental business challenge for our industry: the readers of tomorrow need to become readers today.
Creating reading habits and trusted relationships early can help build a lifelong connection with quality media. That makes children’s media not simply a specialist publishing category, but a strategic priority for the future of the entire media industry.
The Kids Trusted Media Initiative brings the industry together to turn that ambition into practical action.
What we want to achieve
The Initiative is initially focused on four areas:
Gold Standard
Develop a globally recognised benchmark for trusted children’s media, including principles around human-led creativity, verified sourcing and child-safe design.
Institutional access
Create clearer pathways for quality media to reach children through schools, libraries and other institutions, helping publishers overcome distribution barriers and institutions discover trusted content.
Professional accreditation
Explore professional credentials for editors, journalists, designers and other specialists working in children’s media, helping establish children’s publishing as a recognised professional discipline.
Insight and foresight
Build and share intelligence about how children and Gen Alpha discover, consume and engage with content; creating knowledge that can benefit the wider media community.
You don’t have to be a children’s publisher
One of the Initiative’s biggest opportunities is to unlock the enormous amount of high-quality content that already exists across the publishing industry.
Many publishers have years or even decades of trusted journalism, photography, illustration, educational material, science, history, culture, nature, sport and specialist content in their archives.
That content may never have been created specifically for children.
But could it be adapted? Could it be curated differently? Could it be licensed to children’s publishers, educational platforms or institutions? Could it reach schools and libraries? Could existing intellectual property find an entirely new audience?
The Kids Trusted Media Initiative will explore ways for publishers to repurpose, adapt, distribute and license trusted content for younger audiences, creating new opportunities from existing assets while introducing children to quality media.
So whether you already publish a children’s magazine or have never produced children’s content before, there may be a role for your organisation.
Meet our founding Members – there’s still time to join!
Who can take part?
The Initiative is designed as a collaborative ecosystem with three types of constituents.
| Constituent | Who they are | How they can participate | What they can gain |
| Member Publishers | FIPP and WAN-IFRA member publishers and media organisations, including both established children’s publishers and publishers interested in reaching younger audiences | Join working groups, contribute expertise and case studies, participate in pilots, share research, explore distribution and licensing opportunities, and help shape industry standards | New audiences, knowledge and benchmarking, partnerships, institutional distribution opportunities, potential licensing and content-repurposing opportunities |
| Sponsors | Media industry providers that want to support trusted media and the development of future generations of readers | Provide financial support to ensure the initiative has the resources needed to deliver its objectives. | Association with a major global media initiative, visibility across FIPP/WAN-IFRA networks, thought-leadership opportunities and engagement with publishers and institutions |
| Ambassadors | Third-party organisations and institutions that can amplify, support or benefit from the Initiative, including schools and library networks, literacy organisations, NGOs, universities, research organisations, foundations and relevant industry bodies | Help spread the Initiative, contribute knowledge, connect the Initiative with communities and institutions, participate in research or pilots, and help trusted content reach children | Access to industry expertise and potential programmes, research, content and partnerships that support their own missions |
Are you already a FIPP/WAN-IFRA member?
Yes
You can express your interest in participating in the Kids Trusted Media Initiative by completing our questionnaire.
The questionnaire helps us understand what your organisation can contribute, what you would like to achieve, and which areas of the Initiative are most relevant to you.
Not a member yet?
The Initiative is open to organisations within the FIPP/WAN-IFRA membership community.
If your organisation is not currently a member, this is an opportunity to join our global network and then participate in the Initiative.
FIPP and WAN-IFRA together connect thousands of media organisations, brands and technology companies around the world, providing access to industry intelligence, expertise, events, peer networks and collaborative initiatives.
Contact Andrea Cooper, FIPP Head of Membership: andrea.cooper@wan-ifra.org.
Become a sponsor
Supporting the Kids Trusted Media Initiative is an opportunity to help address one of the media industry’s most important long-term challenges: ensuring the next generation develops a relationship with trusted, professionally created content.
Sponsorship can support research, standards development, institutional distribution, professional development, industry events and pilot programmes.
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact Alastair Lewis, Managing Director, FIPP at alastair.lewis@wan-ifra.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kids Trusted Media Initiative?
The FIPP Initiative for Kids Trusted Media is a global industry initiative designed to increase children’s access to trusted, high-quality media and help the publishing industry develop the next generation of readers.
Who is behind the Initiative?
The Initiative was launched by FIPP, now part of WAN-IFRA, and brings together publishers and other organisations from across the global media ecosystem.
It was initiated by Yulia Petrossian Boyle, Chair of the FIPP Advisory Board, and is chaired by Lulu Mazzocco Skantze, Founder and CEO of Storytime.
Do we need to publish children’s media already?
No. Existing children’s and youth publishers have valuable expertise to contribute, but the Initiative is intentionally broader.
Publishers with strong brands, specialist knowledge, journalism or valuable archives may be able to adapt, curate, distribute or license existing content for younger audiences.
We’re not currently a member. Can we join?
Yes. Organisations that are not currently FIPP/WAN-IFRA members can explore membership and, once eligible within the membership community, participate in the Initiative.
Find out more about membership.
What does participation involve?
Participation will depend on your organisation and interests. Opportunities may include joining working groups, contributing expertise or research, participating in pilot projects, helping develop standards, exploring institutional distribution, identifying content licensing opportunities or supporting the Initiative as a sponsor or Ambassador.
Is this only about print magazines?
No. Trusted children’s media can exist across print, digital, audio and other formats. The focus is on quality, trust, creativity and meaningful engagement rather than a particular distribution channel.
What is the Gold Standard?
One of the Initiative’s four initial workstreams is the development of a globally recognised benchmark for children’s media, including human-led creativity, verified sourcing and child-safe design.
The standard will be developed collaboratively as part of the Initiative.
Can schools and libraries participate?
Schools, libraries and their representative networks are important potential Ambassadors and partners. One of the Initiative’s core workstreams is Institutional Access, focused on making trusted children’s media easier to discover and distribute through schools and libraries.
Can companies sponsor the Initiative?
Yes. We welcome conversations with organisations that share the objective of creating a healthier, more trusted media environment for children. Sponsorship opportunities can range from supporting individual projects or research to becoming a strategic or founding partner.
Contact Alastair Lewis, Managing Director, FIPP at alastair.lewis@wan-ifra.org to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Can organisations participate internationally?
Yes. The Initiative is global. FIPP and WAN-IFRA’s combined network spans media organisations and partners around the world, enabling the Initiative to share expertise and develop collaborations across markets.
What happens after I complete the questionnaire?
The questionnaire is our first step. It helps us understand your organisation, your experience, what you could contribute and what you hope to gain from participating.
The Initiative team will use the responses to identify potential participants, partnerships, workstream contributors, pilot opportunities and areas of common interest.
Contact us
If you have any other questions, ideas or thoughts, feel free to contact Sylkia J. Cartagena, Head of Editorial, FIPP at sylkia.cartagena@wan-ifra.org.
