In this specialised workshop we asked what fake news is, where it comes from, and how it can get problematic.
We like to open with unusual concepts. This time, we simply referred to unusual stories. Stories that were so unusual that they hardly could be true. We asked Media Technology Students to take a closer look and find out what was really going on and how fake news can cause harm at micro and macro level.
Our workshop participants noticed that journalists, politicians and "social media" spread fake news. Why would these parties lie? What's more, why would we find fake news in "quality media"? Can't we rely on them, at least? Finding answers to these questions, discussing how fake news can influence the behaviour of people, and working out news stories was enjoyable and effective.
Some student feedback:
"It was interesting to get input from a professonal journalist. To be honest, I did not know that fake news was also a problem in quality media."
"The working environment was professional AND fun."
"We enjoyed their way of giving feedback, it is nice to be respected."
"This workshop has proved: We also learn when we don`t get grades."
"This workshop was designed differently than our regular classes, we could be more creative than usual. The individualized approach was very enjoyable."
"I enjoyed working with senior students, even if I was a little bit scared at the beginning; producing news was really insightful!"