Linda Ellerbee Chats With Kids in Nickelodeon 9/11 Special
As those of you with children know, they can sometimes leave you speechless with the onslaught of difficult questions they pose.
From “how are babies made” to “how can we know God” to the inescapable “why?” – kids and their humbling inquiries definitely have a way of keeping us on our toes.
Thinking along those lines, veteran TV journalist Linda Ellerbee teamed up with Nickelodeon recently to cover one event that has created confusion in the minds of youth throughout the country – the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Titled “What Happened? The Story of September 11, 2011,” the special – which aired last night – was targeted towards kids aged 6 – 14 who either were born after the worst terrorist attacks on American soil or who may not have a recollection of the events of that day, according to Reuters.
“We’re telling kids what happened and why it’s important,” said Ellerbee, who has been helping children process tough topics since 1991, when Nickelodeon asked her to do a special explaining the first Iraq war. “It’s a foundation they can, and hopefully will, expand as they get older.”
Although Ellerbee believed that the chilling facts about that day are important to tell children, she also wanted to emphasize one of her core messages that she says has remained unchanged over that time and plays an even more critical role with 9/11 – good can come from the most tragic of events.
“On 9/11, one of the worst things happened. But it also brought people together. We did extraordinary things to support and help each other. It was a terrible tragedy, but it was also a triumph of the human spirit… That’s the message I want everyone to take away.”
In case you missed Linda Ellerbee and the 9/11 special the first time around, Jodi Davis, Nickelodeon Networks vice-president for communications, revealed to the Christian Science Monitor that, “Beginning Sept. 6, the program will available on Nick.com, on iTunes as a free podcast and in Nick’s video-on-demand offering.”
via CSM
