How Fake News is Reshaping What Billions of People Believe — and How to Fight Back
In this 6-lesson unit you will learn how fake news is created, why it spreads so fast, how AI is making it worse, and — most importantly — what you can do about it. You will finish with a real newsletter warning your community.
68%
of adults get news from social media — where anyone can post anything
6×
faster — how much quicker false news spreads than true news online (MIT, 2018)
3.8B
social media users who can be reached by a single viral fake story
📰 6 Lessons
⏱️ 1 hour each
🔍 Internet research tasks
🤖 AI & deepfakes
🗳️ Elections & manipulation
📣 Create a newsletter
📰
Lesson 1 of 6
What is Fake News — and Why Does It Matter?
Understand the different types of misinformation and why they are dangerous.
Lesson 1
5%
🎯 By the end of this lesson you will…
1
Know the difference between misinformation, disinformation and malinformation
2
Understand why fake news spreads so quickly online
3
Identify real vs fake headlines in an activity
4
Explain why it matters using real examples
📰 What exactly IS "Fake News"?
The phrase "fake news" gets thrown around a lot — but it actually covers several different things. Not all of them are the same, and knowing the difference helps you spot them.
📘
Misinformation — False information shared by someone who genuinely believes it is true. They are wrong, but not trying to deceive you. Example: sharing a health rumour your friend told you.
⚠️
Disinformation — False information spread deliberately to mislead people. Someone knows it is a lie and spreads it on purpose. Example: a government creating fake stories about an enemy country.
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Malinformation — True information shared with the intent to harm. Example: leaking someone's private medical records to embarrass them.
All three can cause serious real-world harm — panic buying, violence, elections being swayed, and people making dangerous decisions based on false beliefs.
🚀 Why does fake news spread so fast?
A study at MIT found that false news spreads six times faster than true news on Twitter/X. Why?
💡
It's designed to make you react. Fake stories are usually shocking, outrageous or frightening — emotions that make us share without thinking. Our brains are wired to pass on surprising information quickly. The people who create fake news know this and exploit it deliberately.
Think about the last thing you shared or forwarded. Did you check if it was true first? Most people don't — and that's exactly what fake news relies on.
🎯 Activity 1 — Real or Fake Headlines?
Interactive
Read each headline carefully. Is it real news or fake news? Click your answer — then read the explanation!
📊 Real examples of fake news causing harm
Pizzagate (2016): A completely false story claimed a pizza restaurant in Washington DC was hiding a child trafficking operation. People believed it — one man drove from North Carolina and fired a gun inside the restaurant. Nobody was hurt, but it shows how fake news can cause real-world violence.
COVID-19 misinformation (2020): False claims that 5G phone masts caused COVID-19 led to masts being set on fire across the UK, leaving people without mobile signal during an emergency.
Fake election stories: During every recent major election, thousands of false stories circulate — many deliberately planted to make people distrust results or not bother voting.
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The danger isn't just being wrong. Fake news erodes trust in everything — including real news, real science, and real democracy. When people don't know what to believe, bad actors take advantage.
❓ Quick Check
1. What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?
A
There is no difference — both mean the same thing
B
Misinformation is spread accidentally; disinformation is spread deliberately
C
Misinformation is online; disinformation is in newspapers
2. According to MIT research, how much faster does false news spread compared to true news?
A
Twice as fast
B
Three times as fast
C
Six times as fast
3. Why are fake stories often designed to be shocking or outrageous?
A
Because shocking stories are easier to write
B
Because strong emotions make people share without checking first
C
Because people prefer reading shocking news
🕵️ Activity — Claim Investigator
5 Claims
Below are 5 claims that went viral online. For each one: choose your verdict (True / False / Misleading / Not sure), then explain how you would check it. Hit Reveal to see the real answer.
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Lesson 2 of 6
How to Spot Fake News — Check Your Sources
Learn the practical skills to verify information before you share or believe it.
🎯 By the end of this lesson you will…
1
Know the SIFT method for fact-checking
2
Understand how to evaluate sources critically
3
Complete an internet research task comparing multiple sources
4
Identify red flags in URLs, headlines and stories
🔦 The SIFT Method
SIFT is a simple four-step method used by fact-checkers around the world. Use it every time you see a story you're not sure about.
S — Stop
Before sharing or believing anything — pause. Don't react immediately. Your first emotional reaction is exactly what fake news exploits.
I — Investigate
Who created this? What do you know about the source? Open a new tab and look up the publication or person before reading further.
F — Find coverage
Can you find the same story on other trusted news sites? If only one obscure site is reporting it, that's a red flag. Big real stories are covered everywhere.
T — Trace claims
Follow the evidence back to its original source. Was the statistic quoted from a real study? Does the original source actually say what the story claims?
🚩 Red Flags to Look For
Fake news often has telltale signs. Train yourself to spot these:
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ALL CAPS headlines — designed to trigger emotion, not inform
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Suspicious URLs — e.g. "ABCnews.com.co" is NOT ABCnews.com
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No author named — real journalists are proud to put their name on their work
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Very old stories shared as new — check the publication date carefully
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Only one source or vague sources — "scientists say" without naming which scientists
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Poor spelling and grammar — professional news outlets proofread carefully
📚 Activity 2 — Rate These Sources
Interactive
Below are four sources reporting on the same health story. Click each one to decide: is it Trusted, Questionable or Unreliable? Read the URL, publication name and snippet carefully.
🌐
Internet Research Task — Cross-Check a Story
A friend sends you this message: "Did you see? Scientists have proven that eating chocolate every day makes you smarter!"
Your task is to fact-check this claim using at least three different sources.
1
Open a new browser tab. Search: "chocolate intelligence study evidence"
2
Find 3 different results. Are they from trusted news or academic sources?
3
Check: do all 3 sources agree? Or do some contradict others?
4
Write your findings below — do NOT just copy and paste!
✅
Key rule: If only ONE source says something and you can't find it anywhere else — be very suspicious. Real scientific findings get reported by multiple trusted outlets.
🔗 Activity — URL Detective
Spot the Fake
Look at each website address below. Can you spot which ones are trustworthy and which are designed to fool you? Click your verdict for each one.
🤖
Lesson 3 of 6
AI, Deepfakes & Synthetic Media
Understand how artificial intelligence is being used to create convincingly fake images, videos and audio.
🎯 By the end of this lesson you will…
1
Understand what deepfakes are and how they are made
2
Identify visual clues that an image or video may be AI-generated
3
Know real-world examples of deepfakes causing harm
4
Research a tool used to detect AI-generated images
🤖 What are Deepfakes?
A deepfake is a photo, video or audio recording that has been manipulated — or entirely created — by artificial intelligence to show something that never happened. The word comes from "deep learning" (a type of AI) + "fake".
Just a few years ago, creating a convincing fake video required a Hollywood studio. Now, AI tools can create a realistic video of someone saying things they never said — in minutes, on a smartphone.
⚠️
Real examples of deepfake harm:
• A deepfake audio of a school headteacher in the US making racist comments led to death threats — before it was confirmed to be fake.
• Deepfake videos of celebrities are used to promote investment scams, tricking people out of thousands of pounds.
• During the 2022 Ukraine invasion, a deepfake video of President Zelensky "surrendering" was broadcast to confuse Ukrainian troops.
🎨 AI Image Generation — How It Works
Tools like Midjourney, DALL-E and Stable Diffusion can generate photorealistic images from a text description in seconds. Type "photo of a protest with thousands of people outside Buckingham Palace" — and the AI creates a convincing image that never existed.
These images are increasingly used in fake news stories because they look more convincing than old-fashioned photo manipulation.
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How does AI generate images? These tools are trained on billions of real photographs. They learn patterns — what faces look like, how light falls, how crowds behave. Then they can generate new images that match those patterns, but don't exist in reality.
🕵️ Activity 3 — Spot the AI Clues
Interactive
AI-generated images often have telltale flaws. Click each clue below to learn what to look for — then you'll know what to check when you see a suspicious image online.
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Internet Research Task — Find a Deepfake Detection Tool
Researchers and tech companies are building tools to detect AI-generated content. Your task is to research two detection tools and report on what they do.
1
Search: "AI deepfake detection tool free" or "how to tell if image is AI generated"
2
Find two tools (e.g. Google Reverse Image Search, TinEye, AI or Not, Hive Moderation)
3
For each tool: what does it do? Is it free? How accurate is it?
🔊 It's Not Just Images — Cloned Voices Too
AI can now clone a person's voice from as little as three seconds of audio. Criminals have used this to call elderly people pretending to be their grandchild in trouble, asking for money. This is sometimes called "vishing" (voice phishing).
In 2023, a company in the UK lost £25 million after criminals used AI to fake the voice and video of the company's CFO on a video call with a junior employee who then authorised a bank transfer.
🔎
The "grandmother test": If you ever get a surprising call from someone you know asking for money urgently — hang up and call them back on a number you already have. Urgency and surprise are manipulation tactics.
🎭 Activity — Deepfake Dilemmas
Scenarios
For each real-world scenario below, choose the best response. What would YOU do if this happened to you or someone you know?
🗳️
Lesson 4 of 6
How We Are Manipulated — Elections, Votes & Opinions
Explore how fake news and algorithms are used to change what people believe and how they vote.
🎯 By the end of this lesson you will…
1
Understand what echo chambers and filter bubbles are
2
Know how social media algorithms amplify misinformation
3
Explain how fake news has been used to influence elections
4
Recognise psychological manipulation techniques used online
🫧 Filter Bubbles & Echo Chambers
Every time you like, share or click on something online, algorithms learn what you like. Over time, they show you more of the same — and less of anything that might challenge your views.
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Filter Bubble: The invisible wall created by algorithms that only shows you content it thinks you'll agree with. You stop seeing opposing views — not because you chose to, but because the algorithm decided you wouldn't click on them.
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Echo Chamber: When everyone around you (online or in person) agrees with each other, it feels like your view is the only reasonable one. Anyone who disagrees seems extreme or wrong — even if they're not.
This is dangerous for democracy. If people only ever see news that confirms what they already believe, they never encounter the truth when they're wrong — and they become easier to radicalise and manipulate.
🗳️ Fake News and Elections
Fake news is particularly dangerous during elections — when what people believe directly determines who gains power.
Brexit referendum (2016): The claim "We send the EU £350 million a week — let's fund our NHS instead" was printed on the side of a bus and widely shared. Independent fact-checkers found this figure was misleading, but by the time corrections were published, millions had already seen and believed the original claim.
US Presidential election (2016): A Cambridge Analytica analysis revealed that Facebook data from millions of users was harvested without consent and used to target individuals with political advertisements specifically designed to manipulate their views.
⚠️
Why it's hard to undo: Research shows that a correction rarely reaches as many people as the original false story. The lie travels at six times the speed. By the time the truth catches up, the damage is done.
🧠 Activity 4 — Match the Manipulation Technique
Interactive
Can you match each manipulation technique to its definition? Click a term on the left, then click the matching description on the right.
Technique
Astroturfing
Clickbait
Dog Whistle
Firehose of Falsehood
Sock Puppet
Definition
Flooding the internet with so many false stories that people give up trying to know what is true
A misleading headline designed purely to get you to click — the content rarely matches the promise
A fake online account used to pretend there is more public support for an idea than there really is
Fake grassroots campaigns that are actually coordinated by governments or corporations
A phrase that sounds innocent to most people but sends a coded message to a specific group
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Internet Research Task — Find a Real Fake News Election Story
Your task is to find one documented case where fake news influenced a real election — and report on it. Use trusted sources only (BBC, Guardian, Reuters, AP, FullFact.org).
1
Search: "fake news election influence example" or "disinformation election BBC"
2
Find an example from a trusted news source
3
Fill in the report below in your own words
📊 Activity 5 — Opinion vs Evidence Slider
Reflection
For each statement, drag the slider to show how much you think it relies on opinion vs evidence. There are no wrong answers — the point is to think carefully.
"The government is hiding the truth about vaccine side effects."
Opinion
50%
Evidence
Pure opinion/fearBacked by solid evidence
"Climate change is caused by human activity."
Opinion
50%
Evidence
Pure opinion/fearBacked by solid evidence
"Immigrants are responsible for rising crime rates."
Opinion
50%
Evidence
Pure opinion/fearBacked by solid evidence
💡
The first and third statements are often spread as if they are established facts, but the evidence does not support them. The second statement is supported by an overwhelming scientific consensus. Notice how all three sound similar — that's deliberate.
📢 Activity — Propaganda Spotter
Tag the Technique
Each post below uses a manipulation technique. Select all the techniques you can spot in each post, then click Check to see how you did.
🫧 Activity — Burst the Bubble
Sort It
Here are 10 things you might do online. Sort them: does this behaviour keep you trapped in an echo chamber — or help burst it? Click each one to assign it.
🫧 Keeps you in the bubble
💥 Bursts the bubble
🛡️
Lesson 5 of 6
Fighting Back — What Can Be Done?
From personal habits to national laws — explore what individuals, platforms and governments are doing to fight fake news.
🎯 By the end of this lesson you will…
1
Know at least five personal habits that protect you from fake news
2
Understand what fact-checking organisations do
3
Know what platforms and governments are (and aren't) doing
4
Research and evaluate a real fact-checking organisation
🧍 What YOU Can Do — Personal Habits
The most powerful defence against fake news is a sceptical, curious mind. Here are habits that protect you:
✅ Activity 6 — Your Fake News Defence Checklist
Self-Assessment
Read each habit. Tick the ones you already do regularly — be honest with yourself. Then focus on the ones you don't do yet!
I pause before sharing anything surprising or emotional online
I check the URL and the publication name before reading an article
I look for the same story on at least two trusted, separate news sources
I check the date of an article before sharing it
I read beyond the headline before forming an opinion
I use reverse image search when an image seems surprising
I am aware that my social media feed is filtered by an algorithm
I follow news sources that sometimes challenge my existing views
I report fake news and misinformation when I see it on social media
I talk to people I trust when I'm not sure if something is true
🏛️ What Governments and Platforms Are Doing
Social media platforms have started adding fact-check labels to disputed content, removing the most dangerous misinformation, and reducing the reach of suspected fake news. But critics argue they don't go far enough — and that they are reluctant to act against content that drives engagement (and therefore advertising revenue).
Governments in some countries have passed laws against spreading deliberately false information during elections or public health crises. The UK's Online Safety Act (2023) places new duties on platforms to protect users from harmful content.
Fact-checking organisations like FullFact (UK), Snopes (US), and AFP Fact Check investigate viral claims and publish their findings publicly. They are independent and do not take political sides.
⚠️
The debate: Some people argue that laws against fake news could also be used by governments to silence legitimate criticism. Who decides what is "fake"? This is one of the hardest challenges of our time.
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Internet Research Task — Investigate a Real Fact-Check
Your task is to visit a real fact-checking site and find one example where a viral story was investigated and found to be false or misleading.
1
Visit fullfact.org or snopes.com or search "fact check [topic] site:fullfact.org"
2
Find a case where a viral claim was fact-checked and found to be false or misleading
3
Fill in the report below — in your own words, not copied!
✅
You can bookmark fullfact.org and snopes.com now. Next time you're not sure about a story, check them first!
🔀 Activity 7 — Sort: Best Responses to Fake News
Drag & Drop
Put these responses to fake news in order from least effective (1) to most effective (5). Drag them into your preferred order, then compare with a partner!
🤔 Activity — Should I Share?
Decision Flowchart
Work through this decision flowchart for the scenario below. Answer each question honestly — the flowchart will tell you what to do!
📱
Scenario: Your uncle has just forwarded you a WhatsApp message: "URGENT — scientists confirm new virus spreading in UK, hospitals overwhelmed, government hiding it. Share to warn everyone!" It has a blurry photo of a hospital car park.
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Lesson 6 of 6
Create Your Fake News Awareness Newsletter
Put everything you've learned together into a real newsletter that warns others about fake news and how to fight it.
🎯 By the end of this lesson you will…
1
Plan and write a genuine awareness newsletter for a real audience
2
Apply persuasive writing techniques to make people care
3
Include evidence, examples and actionable advice
4
Peer-review a classmate's newsletter using a rubric
🎯 Your Audience & Purpose
Your newsletter should be aimed at someone who knows very little about fake news — perhaps a parent, a younger student, or a community member. Your job is to make them care about the problem and give them practical tools to protect themselves.
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Good newsletters do three things:
1. Inform — explain the problem clearly with real examples
2. Persuade — make the reader feel this matters to them personally
3. Empower — give them specific steps they can take right now
ISSUE 1 · FAKE NEWS SPECIAL
OPENING — WHY THIS MATTERS
Start with a shocking fact or a short story to hook your reader. Make them feel this affects them personally.
SECTION 1 — WHAT IS FAKE NEWS?
Explain misinformation vs disinformation in simple words your audience will understand. Use one real example.
SECTION 2 — AI & DEEPFAKES
Explain what deepfakes are and why AI is making fake news much more convincing. Give a real example.
SECTION 3 — HOW WE'RE MANIPULATED
Explain filter bubbles and how fake news is used to influence elections or opinions. Keep it simple but alarming!
SECTION 4 — YOUR TOP TIPS: WHAT TO DO
Give your reader 5 practical, specific tips they can start using TODAY. Number them. Make them easy to follow.
CLOSING — CALL TO ACTION
End with a powerful call to action. What do you want your reader to DO after reading this? Share it? Use a fact-checker? Tell a friend?
👥 Peer Review Rubric
Swap with a partner and use this rubric to give feedback on their newsletter. Tick each criterion you can see evidence of in their work.
The title is clear and attention-grabbing
The opening gives a fact or example that hooks the reader
Misinformation and disinformation are explained clearly
At least one real example of fake news is included
Deepfakes and AI are explained
Filter bubbles or manipulation are explained
At least 5 practical tips are given
The language is appropriate for the audience (not too technical)
There is a clear call to action at the end
No spelling mistakes or grammatical errors
💭 Final Reflection
Written
Answer these questions in your own words. Be honest — this is about your own learning, not a right or wrong answer.
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Unit Complete — Well Done!
You now know how to spot fake news, understand how AI is used to create it, recognise manipulation, and fight back. You've also created a real newsletter to help others. Use these skills every single day online.