A new journalism training course specifically designed to tackle “fake news” has been launched.

The University of Essex has announced the launch of its new International Journalism MA, which it says is the first course of its kind in the country “to offer a complete module in digital open-source journalism techniques which have become indispensable for journalists”.

As well as teaching traditional reporting, writing and visual storytelling skills and investigative techniques, the new degree offers students the chance to collect, analyse and document publicly available online information for use in law, advocacy or journalism.

They will also learn how to identify authentic audio-visual data, geolocate photos and videos, and mine social media for useful information, gaining advanced fact-checking methods along the way.

Dr Idrees Ahmad, pictured, director of journalism at the Colchester-based university, said: “Social media has radically transformed the practice of journalism.

“The ubiquity of smartphones and social media have ensured that wherever there is access to the internet or mobile data, most human activities are being captured on someone’s electronic device.

“The bigger challenge these days is sifting through the deluge of data currently being produced.

“Inevitably, this space is also being filled with noise, often in the form of weaponised disinformation, which is intended to bury the truth. Open-source journalism addresses this by restoring the primacy of facts and verifiability.”