Young journalists from Rio and São Paulo bring G20 to Podcasts

In line with consumer trends, the young journalists of the Andar Project and Imprensa Jovem are now venturing into the world of podcasts, alongside producing content in several other formats. This initiative offers another way to promote G20 topics, tailored in language and focus for school audiences and their communities.

Audiovisual products, social media content, text reports, comics, and now podcasts — the G20 “molecada” (G20 youngsters) are boundless in their creativity when addressing the world's largest economies and the priorities of Brasil's presidency this year.

Students from Brasil's two largest cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, who are part of Kids 20, are attuned to media consumption trends both domestically and globally. They have now entered the podcasting arena with special productions on G20 themes. A study conducted by Nielsen in partnership with Edison Research indicated that podcast audience has grown 68% in the last five years; in 2024, this format is expected to see the highest growth.

In São Paulo, “PodConversar” is an initiative of the Imprensa Jovem project by the Municipal Department of Education (Secretaria Municipal de Educação). The goal is to facilitate important dialogues on current and relevant issues for the educational community and society at large, with weekly episodes. The videocast follows a live broadcast style on the Imprensa Jovem YouTube channel, featuring rotating student hosts who discuss a variety of topics aligned with G20 matters and groups.

The first program focused specifically on youth issues, featuring Marcus Barão, president of the National Youth Council (NYC) and chair of Youth 20. Subsequent episodes covered topics such as the challenges faced by girls in the workforce and professional careers (Women 20), autism and school inclusion (Health Task Force), and financial education for girls (Women 20). The latest episode addressed safe internet navigation, in line with the Digital Economy Task Force discussions.

In Rio de Janeiro, “Papo Reto na Escola” is conducted by the Rede Students News Agency (Projeto Andar), under the coordination of the Municipal Department of Education. The podcasters, students from Anísio Teixeira Municipal School located in Ilha do Governador, initiated the program as a radio show airing on Fridays during school lunch, featuring music and discussions. This initiative was led by History teacher Marcelo Santana, inspired by his attendance at a Rádio Escola course offered by the Municipal Department of Education in 2015.

Now established as a podcast, episodes are released biweekly and available on Spotify. One special episode features the young journalists' coverage of the J20 meeting, an engagement group representing the supreme courts of G20 countries, including an exclusive interview with Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, president of Brasil's Federal Supreme Court (STF).

Additional content from Kids 20 can be accessed on this page, featuring productions by young journalists from Brasília, Minas Gerais, Piauí, and Pernambuco.

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