Bad News

Bad News is a free-to-play online browser game in which players take the perspective of a fake news tycoon. It was released on February 19, 2018. The game is classified as a serious game and a newsgame aimed at improving media literacy and social impact. The game was produced by the Dutch media platform "DROG" in collaboration with University of Cambridge scientists. The game has been described by the media as a "fake news vaccine". Gameplay The purpose of the game is to immunize the public against misinformation by letting players take on the role of a fake news producer. In the game, players earn "badges", each of which correspond to common techniques used in the production of fake news, such as polarization, conspiracy theories, discrediting, trolling, and invoking emotion. The goal is to build your own fake news empire and gain as many followers as possible while maintaining credibility. The game is based on a psychological concept known as inoculation theory, where exposure to weakened doses of common fake news tactics is thought to help confer resistance or psychological immunity against fake news. Reception The game received the 2020 Brouwers Trust Prize from the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and the Frank Prize in Public Interest Communications from the University of Florida's College of Journalism. The game was on exhibit in the London Design Museum for Beazley's Designs of the Year and the University of South Australia's Museum of Discovery and has been the subject of scientific research evaluating its impact on fake news discernment and recognition.