Finland Arms Citizens Against Rising Tide of Fake News

In a world where information flows faster than ever before, teaching children to distinguish fact from fiction has become a cornerstone of modern education. Even at the pre-school level, educators are finding innovative ways to introduce media literacy concepts through familiar territory: fairy tales.

“Young children can start learning to distinguish between fact and fiction,” explains a Finnish education expert involved in developing media literacy curricula. “For example, they can read fairy tales in class and discuss whether the story is likely to be true.”

These early lessons serve as a foundation for understanding disinformation. In many fairy tales, characters use deceit to harm others—a concept that parallels how false information operates in our media landscape. This approach helps children understand that not all information they receive is truthful, and some may be deliberately misleading.

To make complex concepts accessible to young learners, educators have simplified terminology. Misinformation becomes “a mistake,” disinformation is called “a lie,” and malinformation is framed as “gossip.” These are concepts children encounter in their daily interactions, making the abstract world of media manipulation more tangible.

“Children are usually very familiar with mistakes, lies and gossip in their daily lives,” the expert notes. “They learn that not all information is correct, and that it matters whether information is being spread with the intention of harming someone.”

Finland, consistently ranked first in the European Media Literacy Index, has been at the forefront of developing comprehensive teaching materials. The FaktabaariEDU project, a collaboration with fact-checking organization FaktaBaari, has adapted professional verification methodologies for classroom use.

The project distilled complex fact-checking processes into three fundamental questions students can ask when evaluating information:
• Who is behind the claim? Is it a trustworthy source?
• What evidence supports the claim?
• What do other sources say about it?

This framework emphasizes cross-referencing information—if a claim cannot be verified through reliable sources, it should be treated with skepticism and not shared further.

Defining “reliable sources” remains a critical component of media education. Scientific publications and quality journalism are generally considered trustworthy due to their adherence to ethical standards and verification processes. Even Wikipedia, once dismissed by educators, has gained credibility, particularly in major language versions, though experts still recommend consulting multiple sources.

“Today, even Wikipedia has become a fairly reliable source of information,” the expert acknowledges. “But we recommend not using it as the only source, but checking somewhere else as well.”

Despite Finland’s leadership in media literacy, challenges persist. Research from the Finnish CRITICAL project reveals concerning gaps: 40% of 12-year-olds in Finland struggle to distinguish between commercial and factual information, most young people cannot interpret misleading graphs, and nearly a third of high school students have difficulty assessing text reliability.

These findings highlight that media literacy remains an ambitious goal even in high-performing educational systems. Particular challenges include reaching students who aren’t fluent in Finnish, those in adapted schooling programs, and minority populations like the Russian community in Finland, who often consume media from Russia.

One practical piece of advice stands out for people of all ages navigating today’s information landscape: be aware of your emotional responses when consuming media.

“If a claim, image or video you come across online triggers a strong emotional response, be wary: Stop, think and then check!” the expert advises. This approach acknowledges that disinformation often employs emotional manipulation to bypass critical thinking.

As new platforms like TikTok gain popularity and artificial intelligence transforms the information landscape, educators express growing concern about the need for critical digital literacy skills. The stakes have never been higher for young people learning to navigate an increasingly complex media environment—starting with lessons as simple as discussing whether fairy tales could be true.