2016 was a year of anniversaries, elections and big sporting events. As always, news2day was there to report on all of them. When the general election was called, we devoted an entire programme to explaining what it was all about. The leaders of the four main parties answered some tough questions sent in by video from our young viewers, on issues ranging from education to homelessness. But the question that really stumped Enda Kenny, Joan Burton, Michéal Martin and Gerry Adams was: “If you get into government, will you get rid of homework?” Sadly, the answer was “No”. It was the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Again, our viewers were directly involved with our coverage of the events. With our help, they wrote and recorded biographies of the signatories to the Proclamation. And on Proclamation Day, they sent in videos and photos from schools all around the country and told us what this special day meant to them.
2016 was a year of change. Many people were surprised when the Brexit vote went the way it did. news2day explained both sides of the argument. We did the same with the US Presidential election. We also continued to cover the war in Syria with a young audience in mind.
2016 was also the year of the Euros, the Olympics, the Paralympics and we beat the All Blacks! And, as always, there was plenty of drama at home on the GAA pitches..
We also met wonderfully kind and brave children, visited lots of schools all around the country and reported on so many exciting projects full of creativity and diversity. And of course plenty of cute pandas too…