Whether children hear about a major gas line explosion, an earthquake, or a flood, it's important they hear about how well the public, the police, emergency medical, and fire departments respond as well. Even more important, try to emphasize the good stories that come out of every natural disaster such as how individuals help each other in times of need. Follow up on a news story by reading newspapers or magazines together. TV news coverage usually lacks depth, details, and analysis. If your child is particularly interested in a topic, use more detailed or analytic articles to highlight information that wasn't discussed in the television coverage.
Kids often ask for definitions of words they hear on the news.
Answer these inevitable queries by looking them up together.