The Essential Role of Journalism in Democracy

Over the last few weeks, children have called into “The Daily” with a lot of questions about the coronavirus: How did the virus get on earth? What color is coronavirus? And can dogs get it? Today, we try to answer them. Guest: Carl Zimmer, science reporter and author of the “Matter” column for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:

• Do your children still have more questions? Here’s a guide on how to talk to them about the coronavirus.
• With many kids home from school, we have some tips for creating structure around your children’s school days, and some recommendations for podcasts to help keep little ones occupied — and learning.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.