Media Learners Identify Fake News

Media Studies learners from Solihull Sixth Form College took part in a BBC Academy Masterclass this week, learning how to seek out the truth in a world of 'Fake News'.

The Year 13 Media Studies students are currently studying newspapers as part of their A level course, so the masterclass was well timed. The live-streamed event, broadcast from the University of Lancashire in Preston, was led by BBC Verify journalist Paul Brown, who helped to enhance learners news literacy and critical thinking skills. By the end of the masterclass, the students had been challenged to think more critically about what they read, see and hear online and on social media, and to consider the sources of information they consume and whether to believe them.

Media teacher Dan Spurr commented:

"It was a useful and thought-provoking event for all our young people. They will use this knowledge in their current studies and hopefully whenever they consume news in the future."

4 December 2025