the educator mag Jan 26 - Flipbook - Page 58
BBC BITESIZE LAUNCHES
MEDIA LITERACY SERIES
TO HELP TEENS SEPARATE
FACT FROM FICTION ONLINE
Critical thinking and media literacy are now
seen as essential skills for young people,
yet many schools lack the resources to teach
them, according to new research with
teachers, commissioned for BBC Bitesize. Over
half of teachers say they need more support
to help pupils identify misinformation, as
teens increasingly struggle to separate fact
from fiction online, a challenge linked to rising
anxiety levels.
To bridge this gap, BBC Bitesize is launching
Solve the Story, a six-part media literacy series
designed to equip students, teachers, and
schools with practical tools to tackle
misinformation and disinformation.
Premiering in schools on 5 January 2026,
the series forms part of the Bitesize Other
Side of the Story initiative and will help
teenagers question what they see online,
verify sources, spot fakes, and understand
how misleading narratives spread.
The roll-out comes amid mounting evidence
that young people are struggling to manage
the sheer scale and sophistication of online
content. According to research commissioned
by the BBC involving more than 400 teachers,
critical thinking is now considered the single
most important skill for young people, yet
one in three teachers say it is difficult to teach,
citing lack of time, resources and curriculum
pressure.
More than half of the teachers who took part
in the research said they need more support
in helping pupils recognise misinformation,
and that media literacy is not covered well
enough in the current curriculum. Teachers
also warn that students are already “outpacing
adults” online, with the rate of digital change
widening the skills gap in the classroom. The
research also suggests that parents echoed
this concern, as many felt their own digital
skills were already outdated.
For young people, the effect of
misinformation reaches far beyond the
classroom as the impact is emotional as well
as educational. New findings from this year’s
Bitesize Teen Summit with Radio 5 Live,
suggests that two thirds of teenagers worry
about fake news and online misinformation,
causing confusion and contributing to rising
levels of stress and anxiety.
Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s
and Education said: “In today’s digital
landscape, media literacy isn’t a luxury, it’s a
necessity. Solve The Story will help schools to
equip young people with the critical thinking
tools they need to navigate online content
confidently, verify what they see, and protect
their mental well-being. This series is a vital
next step towards empowering students and
supporting
educators in
tackling
misinformation, as
we take Other Side
of the Story into
classrooms.”
Available to schools
and on the BBC Bitesize website, Solve
the Story uses a sixpart mystery series
in which characters
must apply media
literacy skills to
uncover the truth, by analysing sources,
questioning assumptions, identifying
deepfakes, challenging viral claims and
spotting bias. Each episode is paired with a
“how-to” guide offering clear, practical steps
for teachers and resources for classroom use.
Hundreds of schools up and down the country
have already signed up to take part in the
January launch, signalling strong demand for
classroom-ready tools to help pupils navigate
online misinformation. The first episode will
be shown in schools on 6 January, with new
episodes released weekly until the finale event
in February.
Solve the Story is the first content series
created for schools from Bitesize Other Side of
the Story, which was launched in 2021 to help
students navigate the online world and be
more critical of the information they consume.
Bitesize Other Side of the Story provides
articles, videos, quizzes and other
resources and workshops in secondary
schools to help students be more curious
about the news and information they see
and share online. It also equips them with
the tools to create content responsibly, stay
safe online and avoid scams, be more aware
of different types of media, think more
critically and become more positive digital
citizens.
The BBC commissioner for Solve the Story is
Andrew Swanson. The video content can be
found www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/groups/
c4gqzw1kxn6t and Other Side of the Story
can be found www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/
groups/c0rx3447znvt
