THE OPEN UNIVERSITY (OU) in Wales has produced a new film which explores the growth of misinformation and disinformation, and their damaging impact on democracy. Fake News in Wales is set against the backdrop a growing awareness of devolution as well as the Coronavirus pandemic.

The film explores the difference between misinformation, disinformation and fake news – a term which became commonplace during the presidency of Donald Trump – and how each of these can affect the relationship between democracies and the public.

In the film, expert contributors discuss the role of politicians and the difference between the way Wales-based and UK-wide media outlets report Welsh news, and consider the challenges this has presented during the pandemic. These include uncertainty around where decisions are made, and what people in Wales, England and the UK have been allowed to do at different stages.

Fake News in Wales features contributions from Dr Philip Seargeant, Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at the Centre for Language and Communication at The Open University, Jess Blair, Director of the Electoral Reform Society Cymru, Will Hayward, Welsh Affairs Editor at WalesOnline, and Shaun Bendle, one of the founders of the @thatsdevolved twitter account.

Speaking in the film, Dr Philip Seargeant told The Herald: “The basic meaning of ‘fake news’ is information that’s false or fabricated and that is being passed off as news, and thus as real. It is something that can potentially affect us all and the way we live our lives. Disinformation is false information which has been created on purpose, and so it’s often a type of propaganda. Misinformation is where the false information is more accidental, but it’s still false and so it can still be very disruptive.

“The Covid pandemic is a very good example, because you really want reliable information, so that people know what they can, what they should be doing. And it can have very serious consequences because this is to do with issues, of ultimately, life and death.”

Fake News in Wales is part of a new Active Citizenship in Wales hub produced by The Open University in Wales for OpenLearn, the OU’s free learning platform. Included on the hub are articles on How to Read the News, Six Ways to Get Your Voice Heard, as well as a free course on Understanding Devolution in Wales.

Louise Casella, Director of The Open University in Wales said:

“Our new Fake News in Wales film offers a fascinating insight into how misinformation and disinformation can threaten our democratic principles, weaken our citizens’ ability to hold decisionmakers to account, and to have their voices heard. Though the term ‘fake news’ was popularised in the US, the expert contributors in our film demonstrate why we in Wales cannot afford to rest on our laurels in ensuring that people here are equipped to think critically about the news they consume.

“Our free Active Citizenship in Wales hub is the latest development in our mission to open up learning to the Welsh public and help encourage constructive debate. For devolved democratic government to function effectively, we need informed citizens who can read between the headlines and scrutinise the work of policymakers. I hope learners and other organisations across Wales will find it useful and thought-provoking.”

Fake News in Wales, the Active Citizenship in Wales hub and over 1000 free courses are available now on OpenLearn.

PUPILS from Ysgol Bro Ingli put their best feet forward to raise a fantastic £1,610 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity.
The Pembrokeshire school raised the funds by completing a sponsored walk around the town and coast of Newport, after the Charity’s medics were called out to someone they knew, and the school wanted to help the charity close to their hearts.
Around ninety pupils took part in the fundraiser – the older children walked 4 miles whilst the younger ones walked over a mile.
Delighted School Council members at Ysgol Bro Ingli, said: “The school raised the funds by taking part in a sponsored walk around Newport. Each class walked and walked and walked until we were very tired. It was worth all the sweat and sore legs due to the huge amount of money everyone had collected in sponsor money.” 
Proud headteacher at Ysgol Bro Ingli, Enfys Howells, said: “We feel enormous pride that we are able to help such a great cause and this is the largest sum of money we have ever raised for a charity so we are really, really proud.”
Wales Air Ambulance offers advanced critical care and is often described as a ‘Flying ED’. The on-board consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia, and undertake emergency operations at the scene of the incident, before flying the patient directly to specialist care.
Now operational 24/7, the Charity needs to raise £8 million every year to keep the helicopters in the air and its Rapid Response Vehicles on the road.
The sponsored walk is the first time the school has raised funds for the Wales Air Ambulance, but it ‘definitely won’t be the last time’. Ysgol Bro Ingli will be thinking of ‘more enterprising ideas’ to help raise money in the future. The children that took part in the sponsored walk were aged between 3 to11 years old.
The school are grateful for the support it has received from the childrens’ families, Enfys added: “All families gave something towards the cause as it is a charity close to everyone’s hearts. No one knows when they will need the Wales Air Ambulance’s help.”
Katie Macro, Campaigns Manager for Wales Air Ambulance, said: “The children have done a superb job in raising money for the Wales Air Ambulance. They walked and walked around Newport despite having sore legs and their dedication and commitment to raise funds for the Charity, that helped someone they knew, is evident. They’ve raised an incredible £1,610 for our lifesaving service.
“We regularly attend many life and limb-threatening emergencies in Pembrokeshire. Donations like this are vital and we know how important our service is, particularly for rural areas. By keeping our helicopters in the air we can continue to take the emergency department to the patient, saving time and saving lives.
“We’re delighted to hear that the school would like to raise funds for the Wales Air Ambulance in the future. Diolch yn fawr, Pawb.”

NESTLE WATERS UK, which has a plant in Narberth, Pembrokeshire, has launched R-Generation, a new education programme to equip primary and  secondary students with the skills to inspire positive change in their school community and beyond.

The R-Generation resources provide curriculum links to PSHE, Citizenship, Science and Geography, and  offer a whole-school approach to being more actively sustainable.

The resources for primary students include a range of interactive activities that can easily fit into day-to-day lesson planning such as an  assembly presentation, school launch guide and four workshops focused on key topics such as reusing,  recycling and being an active citizen.

The aim of the programme is to empower students to take recycling  into their own hands, by creating school surveys, interviews and analysis that help students better  understand what recycling means for their school and how they can build better habits for the future. To  make this a manageable goal for primary school students, the resources showcase simple tips on  understanding labels, checking your bins and knowing how to recycle in your local area.

The programme also offers resources for secondary students, which focus on creating a team of R Generation Ambassadors who create an Action Plan to make their school community more sustainable.

Through a series of workshops, students will learn how to lead by example, exploring other young  influential sustainability ambassadors to inspire their thinking. These R-Generation Ambassadors will then  create a 10-week sustainability plan for their school, featuring school recycling challenges and ideas about  how to include their wider school community of parents, councillors and local press to make a difference in  their local community.
Emma Barker, a teacher at Grampian Primary Academy in Derby, said: “The R-Generation programme has equipped my class  with important skills to be able to drive a lasting change within the school. It’s helped them to realise they  have a voice and are able to communicate their newfound knowledge about recycling and sustainability  with confidence. They are immensely proud of the projects they have implemented across the school, and  they have helped to inspire others to make small changes to help the environment.”

Hayley Lloyd House, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé Waters UK said: “Thinking beyond sustainability and  reducing our impact on the environment are at the heart of everything we do, and the world needs  everyone to take action and do their bit now, more than ever before. We hope to showcase the variety of simple actions children, schools and local  communities can take to create circularity in their organisations that can help reduce their impact. These  small changes can have an impact on a global scale and we can all be part of the change our planet needs  for tomorrow and the future.”

The R-Generation primary and secondary resource packs are now available to be downloaded for free at:  http://r-generation.co.uk/