In 2017, Collins announced “fake news” as its word of the year. But to present it as a new phenomenon would be, well, fake news.
Misinformation has been a part of societies for centuries, with examples of fake news existing even from Ancient Roman times, and countless examples of propaganda used by governments and leaders throughout history.
What is new is the sheer volume of fake news that we are exposed to. A recent survey showed that 45 per cent of British adults believe they encounter fake news every day.
Social media has weaponised fake news, enabling information to be spread across the world in seconds through likes, shares and retweets.
Consequently, young people are processing information from a wider variety of sources than ever before.
Helping pupils to spot fake news
In 2018, the Commission on Fake News and the Teaching of Critical Literacy Skills in Schools found that half of young people were worried about being able to spot fake news, and two-thirds of teachers felt that fake news was harming students’ wellbeing.
In 2019, the Department for Education issued online safety guidance for schools to help young people “to recognise and respond to ‘fake news’ more effectively and to differentiate between misinformation and disinformation”.
So how can we, as schools, help our students to identify fake news?
Collins defined fake news as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”. At best it is information with some inaccuracies. At worst, lies.
It is important that schools adopt a cohesive approach. Here’s how they can embed the critical skills needed to fight the issue:
Design and teach a knowledge-rich curriculum
Giving students knowledge about a wide variety of subjects means they will naturally be more critical and wise to situations they come across. Deep understanding in subjects like the humanities and science, for example, is important in ensuring that students are able to discern likely facts from fake news.
Use PSHE time
These sessions can be used to investigate news reports and explore fake news. Students could look at different headlines of the same event to spot where facts have been distorted and discuss how quickly storeis can be spread on social media. Fake news about the Covid-19 vaccine could be explored sensitively, teaching students to understand how scientific information has been lost alongside clickbait headlines.
Develop critical literacy skills
Encourage students to challenge what they read by asking critical questions, exploring fact and opinion, analysing authors’ language choices and interrogating the provenance of sources.
It is our duty, as school leaders, to ensure that our curriculum stands up to this challenge and that we equip our students with the skills to make informed judgments about what they read online.
Rachel Ball is assistant principal in charge of teaching and learning at Co-op Academy Walkden in Salford, Greater Manchester
Today is Safer Internet Day. Tes have curated a collection of lesson plans, activities and helpful tips to teach primary and secondary students about web safety and reliability, giving them the tools and skills to help spot fact from fiction online.
