Nick Farrell '12 takes a bite out of fake news

Nick Farrall ¡®12 (communication and economics double major) and his partner Emily David see the ¡°fake news¡± problem as one of media literacy - and one that should be addressed in schools. Students should learn how to find accurate, well-sourced information, the fundamentals of media literacy.

Farrell and David have launched a startup aimed at K-12 parents and teachers ¨C Bites Media.

Forbes recently profiled the pair:

¡°The idea is simple. Bites takes contemporary issues in the news, sourced from reliable and reputable outlets, then shrinks the information down into smaller, faster, more consumable chucks ¨C or, bites ¨C for younger readers. They then take that content and build comprehension lessons around it, allowing teachers to build important issue literacy around these key topics. The content and the lessons are built and delivered online, in easy, turnkey modules for teachers or parents.

¡°Bites is in a gradual build, bootstrapped and self-funded for now. But, with a few successful pilots in their rear-view and the ¡°public launch¡± last December, the roll out is ongoing and growing. They have more than 1,500 subscribers already and, Farrell says, ¡®we¡¯re forecasting we will be able to hit $1 million in revenue in 18 months.¡¯ With so many millions of students newly schooling at home and so many parents hungry for quality resources, the audience is certainly there.¡±