The challenge facing RTÉ's news bulletins for children will be dealing with sensitive issues, writes Shane Hegarty

RTÉ unveiled its latest news service this week, aimed at children and featuring children. It will, though, be made by grown-ups, so posing particular problems. It can be tough enough to explain the workings of the adult world to a single seven-year-old. So what if you are entrusted with explaining it to a nation of them?

Running daily from next Monday, the bulletins will mostly feature the stories that dominate the thoughts of children aged seven to 12, which RTÉ's research confirms to be entertainment, sport and fashion. Yet, there will be days when the stories that dominate the adults' news will impinge on News2day.

For instance, how would the show explain an event like September 11th to young viewers? Or a story involving children in the most horrid way, such as the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman?

"It will be impossible to ignore," says Mary Butler, News2day's editor. "We will have to show it and deal with it, but we will have to bear in mind that they are kids. We will need to be more sensitive with our pictures, not show the gorier images that might be shown on the evening."

Guests may be brought in to explain the effects these stories may have on children. "We will have to be more careful with the script than we would be with adults," Butler adds. "We will have to explain things carefully and very clearly, with no extraneous language. It will need to be lively and descriptive. We will need to use pictures to put across the story."

Although the presentation of difficult stories to children requires sensitive handling, Butler is insistent that the programme will not talk down to children. "We're all learning that every child is a person, just smaller," she says. "If you treat a child as a person then you're OK. I'm also amazed at how articulate even very young children are. You need to talk up to them, not down."

The attention span of children though falls short of those who tune into adult bulletins and Butler admits the agenda will change rapidly with no story dominating the news day after day as happens on adult programmes."We won't be perfect," she admits. "We have a fine line to walk and mistakes will probably be made, but we're only human and we'll learn."

At the moment the group behind the project is still working out the limits of just how informal the show can be. "I'm working in an environment in which 90 per cent is serious," she confirms. "We're still saying that we need to lighten up more."

The bulletins are being part financed by the National Children's Office, a cross-departmental body, which has donated €200,000. "This programme has been on our wish list for a long time," says RTÉ managing editor of news, Cillian de Paor.

It may not have topped the viewers' wish lists up until now, but if RTÉ gets this right, it may become an important fixture on the schedules for years to come.