Introducing 'Generation Why,' must-reads for Canadian youth

Generation Why: CBC Community's weekly digest of must reads for young Canadians, will launch Friday. (iStock)

Read the inaugural issue of Generation Why here

If you're a Canadian under the age of 30, odds are you're not reading a physical newspaper every morning or sitting down each night to watch the six o'clock news -- but that doesn't mean you're not paying attention to the world around you.

Perhaps the ways you encounter information are a little less predictable, a little more serendipitous, than the ways your parents did when they were your age.

A lot has changed since then.

Young people today have an unprecedented amount of access to global information. It comes at us constantly from a multitude of sources. In this fast-paced and ever-changing digital landscape, it's easy to miss stories that are interesting, informative or useful.

Your peers at CBC News are news junkies by profession, which means that we're in a good position to keep watch for what's new and notable. Like staff at a bookstore, we know our collection well and can help you find the best of it..

That's why we're launching Generation Why, a weekly interactive magazine curated by young Canadians for young Canadians. Here's an example of a spread you might see.



Our goal is not to talk at you, but with you.

The CBC audience is filled with sharp minds and great taste. It would be a shame not to collaborate and learn about which issues and ideas matter most to you.

How to become a contributor

Each week, Generation Why will feature a selection of reader's picks - stories that our peers feel all young Canadians should read, watch or listen to.

To contribute follow these three steps.

Step 1: Choose one news or current affairs item from the preceding week that you think would appeal to, affect, or engage students and young adults in Canada.

Your item can be a story, a standout radio or TV interview, a documentary, a photo gallery, an interactive map, etc. As long as it's CBC content we can link to online, it's an option! (If it's not online but should be, you can flag it for us, too. We'll see what we can do.)

Step 2: Write a couple paragraphs (200 words max) about why this news item caught your attention and why you think other young Canadians might be interested, too.

Please feel free to write in your own voice and be conversational - the way you are when recommending links to your friends on Facebook, for example.

Step 3: Send us your write up and a link to your item, as well as your name, location and a photo of you. You can email your entry to community@cbc.ca with the subject line "Generation Why" or upload your submission to our member pages.

The deadline each week is Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET. The inaugural issue will go live this Friday.

The format isn't set in stone, either. We'll be taking your feedback and suggestions on how to make it a reliable digest of the best CBCNews.ca has to offer from a youth perspective.

We thank you in advance for helping us build this resource.

- Fabiola Carletti and Lauren O'Neil
Members of the CBC Community team and ever-curious twenty-somethings

SOCIAL POLL | What big picture questions would you like to see in the news?

*Please note that this is a non-scientific and pre-moderated social poll. These are reader-submitted questions that have been approved by CBC staff.

We invite you to participate, but please stick to the same template and submissions guidelines.

Questions you'd like to see in the news?