Combating Disinformation: A Vital Responsibility for Adult Educators

London’s Westminster Menswear (WM) College has announced its departure from Twitter/X amid growing concerns about the platform’s role in spreading disinformation. The decision comes during a week when UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak publicly criticized X’s chief executive Elon Musk, accusing the platform of enabling those who “spread lies and misinformation” and who are “not interested in victims.”

The college’s move reflects mounting anxiety among educational institutions about social media’s impact on truth and community cohesion. In a statement, WM College emphasized that as education providers, they bear “a crucial responsibility to promote constructive dialogue and truth” while supporting “equality, diversity and inclusivity.”

Social media platforms have long used algorithms that serve tailored content based on user behavior and preferences. While this can provide relevant information, it also creates environments where fake news and disinformation can flourish. The recent advancement of artificial intelligence has accelerated this problem, creating what the college describes as a “crossroads” moment for digital communication.

“We each need to proactively consider what we do in these spaces and choose our course carefully,” the college stated, announcing its intention to focus on alternative platforms that better align with its institutional values.

The departure from Twitter/X represents just one aspect of a broader strategy. WM College is now examining how to formally incorporate media literacy into its curriculum, with specific focus on helping students identify and verify potential misinformation.

“Our tutors are already having conversations with learners about how they can spot and check fake news, and we are now looking at how we can formally embed this in our curriculums, student and staff inductions, and community outreach,” the college explained.

The institution has called for increased government funding to address what it sees as an education gap in misinformation resistance. Research cited by the college indicates that individuals with higher levels of education are more likely to critically evaluate information they encounter online. This highlights a societal vulnerability where those with limited educational access may be more susceptible to misleading content.

“As a nation, we are failing to reach those who are most distant from employment and community engagement,” the college warned, emphasizing that adult learning provides critical skills for countering disinformation while delivering broader benefits like improved employment prospects, career advancement, and community integration.

The college’s stance comes amid growing tension between governments and social media platforms over content moderation and responsibility. Educational institutions increasingly find themselves on the front lines of this issue, trying to equip students with critical thinking skills while navigating their own institutional presence on controversial platforms.

Adult education colleges like WM College serve as community hubs that challenge isolation and promote social cohesion. These institutions provide physical and online spaces where diverse groups can learn together and engage in respectful dialogue, making them potentially powerful allies in combating the divisive effects of online misinformation.

“This is a complex problem that we cannot solve overnight,” the college acknowledged. “But by recognizing the important role we play and the actions we can take to arm and deploy adult colleges in the fight against disinformation, we can be an effective part of the arsenal against activity that can undermine all that we – as educators – are trying to achieve in building a cohesive society.”

As digital platforms continue to evolve, educational institutions face increasing pressure to evaluate their online presence against their core values of truth, inclusivity, and community building – decisions that may lead more organizations to reconsider their participation on platforms where misinformation thrives.