BBC-run workshop helps Forth Valley College students ‘filter the fakes’
Forth Valley College students have benefitted from a BBC-run workshop which showcased how to tell fake news apart from real images.
BBC Verify’s on Tour Filter the Fakes workshop has helped students and staff at Forth Valley College (FVC) distinguish the difference between AI generated media and genuine images and film clips.
Run by former BBC broadcast journalist turned trainer, Ian Moss, the project aims to teach young people how to spot fake news and understand media bias, how to evaluate trustworthy sources, and the importance of critical thinking in the digital age.
The hour-long workshop drew in more than 200 students and 20 FVC staff members across the college’s three campuses last week.
Guests also gained a behind-the-scenes look at how BBC Verify’s team investigates and verifies stories, which helps young people identify misinformation, understand bias, and evaluate trustworthy sources.
The event highlighted a wide range of roles within the media industry and showed participants what pathways are available for those interested in a media career.
The workshop was coordinated by Forth Valley Student Association’s student engagement officer Kasia Słapek, Creative, Digital, and Leisure Industries department operations manager Karyn King, and Care, Sport, Business and Communities Curriculum manager Lucy Hawkins.
Kasia Słapek said: “We were delighted to host the BBC Verify Filter the Fakes workshop at FVC.
“The strong engagement from both students and staff highlighted how valuable these skills are in today's digital world.
“As misinformation continues to evolve, opportunities like this help build the critical thinking needed to navigate information with confidence."
The nationwide outreach initiative, presented by BBC Academy Live, is delivered in-person and virtually for schools, colleges, and sixth forms.
Each event features an in-person expert-led interactive workshops as well as engaging online discussions with industry members.
Ian said: “This is one of the first workshops of this kind that we have done in-person and I was delighted to bring it to the fantastic students at FVC.
“It was very heartening to see how tuned it to some of the challenges the students already are and I’m confident that the skills they’ve learned will be a great help in navigating the media landscape.
“There are definitely some potential BBC journalists developing across the three FVC sites.”