Solve the Story Episode 3: The Skew
Just when Misha thinks things can’t get any worse, a new video drops from an American gossip channel.
Whilst Misha finds herself trapped in an endless scroll of hate, Sam and Aaron notice that something's off. Could the influencer be deliberately stirring outrage for views and ad revenue? And if so… who’s really responsible for the damage being done?
SAM: Previously on Solve The Story…
MISHA: What’d you say?
AARON: It’s up to a thousand views.
SAM: We already know it’s 100% fake.
MISHA: It’s got to be him, it’s his picture.
SAM: I bet he don’t even know his face is being used.
MISHA: Look at these comments. I can’t believe all these people hate me so much.
SAM: It’s just bots posting over and over again.
AARON: You think I did this? Let me see the comments. Here we go. Look at this.
SAM: Lots of these comments seem to be coming from this influencer’s profile.
INFLUENCER: I always thought skaters were pretty chilled, but some girl has been throwing her weight around, punching other kids.
MISHA: What’d you say? What’d you say?
INFLUENCER: Everyone’s freaking out. The comments are going crazy. Look at this one. Nah, for real, this girl has issues. That’s not cool.
MISHA: Delete it and back off!
INFLUENCER: Feels like this whole thing isn’t dying down anytime soon and looks like the skate park might even get shut down on the back of it. Like and subscribe, and I’ll keep you posted on what happens.
AARON: Why are they bothered about this?
MISHA: She said they were going to shut the skateboard down. They can’t do that, can they?
SAM: I don’t know.
AARON: This girl is the queen of clickbait. All the posts are just designed to get you to click through. Look at this one.
SAM: Looks dramatic.
AARON: And it’s just about a girl whose phone died while she was on the train home. There’s so many of them. Clickbait gets views. Views get ads. Ads equal cash. They’re doing it for the money.
MISHA: It’s not true. Why are they posting this?
SAM: Surely there’s enough going on in America for her to focus on. Why is she sharing a video on Misha?
AARON: I don’t know. I’m going to find out.
SAM: I’ll go find Misha. I’m so worried about her.
AARON: Me too.
SAM: Challenge time. Check out these three comments. Each one is written with a different bias, designed to make you feel or react a certain way. What is each post trying to make you think or feel? And which one would you be most likely to comment on or like?
SAM: Bubble tea. Your favourite.
MISHA: Yes!
SAM: Misha, come on, seriously. The more you keep watching and reading all the comments, the more the algorithm’s just gonna feed you it.
MISHA: Algo what?
SAM: The algorithm. The more you check the comments, the more it thinks you like it, the more hate you’re gonna see. You’re stuck in an echo chamber. The only way out, you gotta look at something else, yeah? Search up, I don’t know, some funny cat videos or something. Or better, turn your phone off, at least till it’s all died down.
MISHA: And that’s going to solve what exactly?
SAM: I don’t know, but it’s definitely going to make you feel a little bit better. And we’re going to need that, especially if we want to get to the bottom of this, yeah?
MISHA: Thanks.
SAM: What’s this now? It’s Aaron? He’s found something from the American Influencer.
Time for you to help again. Head to The Other Side of the Story website and watch the “How to Spot Hidden Agendas and Recognise Bias Online” video. Then use your new skills to see if you can spot any bias on the influencer’s channel and get us closer to finding the truth.
Episode takeaways
In this episode, you will learn how to:
- Understand how bias can shape how a story is perceived
- Learn how algorithms create echo chambers
- Think critically about why influencers might spread dramatic or misleading content
Key points to think about:
- Why do exaggerated or emotional stories perform better online than balanced ones?
- How do algorithms affect what we see and how we feel on social media?
- How can constant exposure to online negativity affect someone’s mental health?
How to: spot hidden agendas on social media
Not everything you see online is as it seems. Some accounts may be trying to influence your opinions, promote a product, spread political ideas, or steer emotions like fear or anger.
To understand what’s really going on, it’s important not to judge an account by a single post. The real clues are in the patterns.
In this video, you’ll learn a simple way to spot hidden agendas by looking at an account’s overall activity not just one post.
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JAMES: How to spot hidden agendas and recognise bias online.
Not everything you see online is as straightforward as it seems.
Sometimes accounts aren't just sharing content, they're pushing hidden messages that might not be telling you the whole story or truth.
This could include things like pushing certain political views, trying to sway your opinion, or simply attempting to make money.
To really understand what's going on, don't just focus on a single post.
Look at the account's overall activity and posting patterns.
Here's a simple way to do it.
Instead of just reacting to a single video or article, go to the account's main profile or homepage and have a scroll through all their content.
Ask yourself what topics keep popping up over and over again?
Are they constantly promoting one product, idea or opinion?
Is there a person, group or idea they're consistently praising or attacking?
What is the overall tone?
Is it mostly positive, negative or does it seem designed to make you feel angry or scared?
Looking for these patterns helps you see the story they're trying to communicate.
It's a simple way to uncover bias, avoid being influenced and figure out your own thoughts on a subject.
Blocking stops the account from contacting you and reporting alerts the platform so they can investigate and take action.
To do this, tap the three dots on the profile or message, then select block or report.
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If you’re unsure about an account’s intentions:
- Scroll through the account’s full profile
- Look for repeated topics, opinions, or products
- Notice who or what they consistently praise or attack
- Pay attention to the tone, is it designed to inform, or to provoke fear or anger?
Classroom film: Understanding media bias
News and online content aren’t always neutral, the way stories are framed can influence what we think and feel. This is known as bias. Bias can appear in different forms, including sensationalism, emotional framing, and bias by omission. Algorithms can also amplify biased or misleading information by repeatedly showing content that aligns with your interests.
Watch this video to find out more about understanding media bias.
You can find more teacher notes and classroom resources on our Bitesize for Teachers Solve the Story page.
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JAMES: Same event, but two completely different stories.
How is that possible?
Welcome to the world of media bias.
Reports of events can be twisted, depending on what the content creator wants you to believe.
So, we're going to look at the reasons and biases that may influence how media content is created.
You'll learn to spot bias, understand how it works, and know how to find the real story.
This is a vital skill to help you become a smarter media consumer.
On screen, there are two reports that have been written about an online video that has been manipulated using AI.
Your first task is to analyse the reports.
Think about how the specific language and overall tone changes the story being told.
What is each report trying to make you feel or think?
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You've just explored how the way a story is shaped can influence how we understand it.
Every choice, from the words in a headline to the photo selected for the thumbnail, shapes the meaning.
This is media bias.
Sometimes it's obvious but often, it's subtle.
Each of those articles highlighted a different type of bias.
Article 1 demonstrated bias by omission where important details are deliberately left out.
This report admits the critical fact that the video was later confirmed to be AI generated, presenting a fabricated event as real news.
And then there's confirmation bias, which is when we believe something just because it matches what we already think.
Article 2 demonstrates this by framing an isolated incident as proof that skaters are badly behaved, reinforcing a pre-existing negative stereotype.
Articles and posts that appear on your social media feeds are supercharged by algorithms; computer programs that learn what you engage with and feed you more of the same.
They can sometimes reinforce your existing views and potentially create an echo chamber.
This can lead to you hearing only the things you already think and believe, echoed back to you, making you think everyone has the same view.
The more shares or comments a piece of content gets, the more likely it will be prioritised by the algorithm.
This means sensationalist and shocking content often performs better.
There are news organisations that try to avoid this and give a balance of facts and opinions to allow you to make up your own mind,but because they're less sensational, they sometimes get less traction online.
Now, let's put your new skills to the test.
For your second task, you're going to become the journalist.
Choose one of these simple, neutral statements.
Your mission is to rewrite it twice.
First, write a short news article or social media post, giving the chosen story a really positive spin so it sounds like really good news.
Then, write a second version giving it a completely negative spin, as if it's terrible news.
Think about the powerful, persuasive words you could use to shape your reader's opinion.
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By creating your own biased reports, you can see how easily a story can be manipulated.
Lots of media has bias and it can come in many forms, and algorithms can trap us in echo chambers.
One key skill to help understand the real story is to always cross-reference at least two different sources reporting the same events and ask yourself,
“Is this report telling me what to think or presenting me with enough information to make my own mind up?”
By doing that, you're not just finding the facts.
You're taking control of your own perspective.
