NewsFeed Defenders

NewsFeed Defenders is a civics and media literacy learning game developed with iCivics. Players moderate a fictional social media platform, balancing audience growth with decisions about removing or limiting misleading, biased, or deceptive content.

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2019 world-changing ideas award finalist
Platform:
mobile
web
Subject:
civics
Genre:
strategy
Art:
2d
Release:
2018
Age:
adolescents

Nationally-recognized game-based learning platform & games for teaching civics

NewsFeed Defenders is a civics and media literacy learning game developed with iCivics that focuses on evaluating information in a digital news environment. Players moderate a fictional social media platform, balancing audience growth with decisions about removing or limiting misleading, biased, or deceptive content. This simulation teaches players to identify journalistic standards, spot "viral deception," and apply lateral reading techniques to maintain the integrity of an online community.

Learning focus

Media Literacy, Content Moderation, Journalism Standards, Identifying Misinformation

GAME FEATURES

Moderate a news platform

Review posts and decide which content should remain visible or be restricted.

Identify misleading content

Detect clickbait, viral deception, and biased information.

Apply journalism standards

Use principles of credible reporting to guide moderation decisions.

Balance growth and integrity

Manage tradeoffs between user engagement and information quality.

Core Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify common forms of online misinformation and bias
  • Apply media literacy criteria to evaluate digital content
  • Analyze the impact of moderation decisions on information ecosystems
  • Explain the role of journalism standards in public informatio
Why This Project Matters

Digital media environments shape how people encounter news and form opinions. NewsFeed Defenders helps learners build practical media literacy skills by placing them in the role of content moderators who must evaluate information quality while considering the broader effects on public discourse.

Measured Impact Across Contexts

5%
User Rating
5%
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5%
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5%
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5%
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5%
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5%
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Awards & Recognition

"Filament's attention to mission and commitment to creating top-shelf learning experiences has resulted in an extremely productiv e partnership. They understand the complexity of serving educators while meeting our organizational goals."

Carrie Ray-Hill
Director of Digital Learning, iCivics
FAST COMPANY
2019 world-changing ideas award finalist
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