“ Can you spot a fake news story?” was the first question BBC journalist Ian Moss put to sixth form students as he led a workshop on 'Real News'.
Held by BU alongside the BBC Young Reporter team, the workshop introduced young, aspiring reporters to the wonderful world of journalism.
So, what is Real News? Just how damaging can fake news be?
These were just a couple of issues covered in the eye-opening Real News Talk.
Mr Moss held a very informative and interesting presentation into Real News which featured many videos, interactive questions and plenty of amazing insights from his experiences as a journalist.
Students quizzed him with questions such as: “Can we trust anonymous sources to the same extent as official?” and “Why has fake news become such a big problem?” - two hot topics within the industry!
Mr Moss was joined after midday by BU alumni Charlotte Gay, now with ITV and BBC journalist Poppy Jeffrey, and BBC apprentice Elena Bailey.
Students asked some very probing questions which were answered with great insight:
“In entering your professional lives were there any experiences that contributed to you today or shaped your thoughts on the industry?”
Elena responded with: “I expected it would be a dog-eat-dog world and nobody would help each other out, but I think it’s so different.”
BU graduate Poppy Jeffery also had a very compelling answer, saying: “The high for me was realising how diverse it is in the newsroom, you don’t have to look or be a certain way.”
Students were provided with boundless amounts of priceless knowledge in what was a truly rewarding experience.
By BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism students Andy Jones, Owen Lucy and James Whitehead
