S2 Home Learning Task – Should Writing Fake News Be Considered a Crime?

Hello! Here is a series of Big Question tasks that you can work through if you are working at home.

1. Read the Powerpoint

2. Watch the video

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51271837

3. Read this article

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38906931

Fake News- What is it. 

4. Create a Table

Create a table of all the arguments for and against whether making the writing and sharing of fake news illegal would be a good idea or a bad idea 

5. Research

Choose a company that is trying to tackle fake news.  For example Facebook.  

 Research how it is trying to tackle the fake news and whether you think it is successful.  

6. Debate

“Fake news is an incredibly dangerous thing. Writing, spreading or promoting fake news should be considered a criminal activity. All it takes is one particularly angry individual to read a fake news article and act upon it with threats of violence or worse.”  

“Making fake news illegal is a difficult thing to do as matters of opinion don’t need to be based upon facts – simply emotions or our morals. If we make fake news illegal, what’s to say a government wouldn’t then ban anything criticising or opposing them in order to silence those who don’t agree with them?”  

What do you think? Should writing and spreading fake news be considered a crime? 

7. Create

Answer your Big question – You can choose how you present your information. You may want to make a video, a poster, a rap, write a speech, a Tik Tok video, a IGTV, a twitter feed, a powerpoint, a mindmap – the possibilities are endless.  

 Consider the pros and cons and come to a conclusion.