In my mind there is no them, but individuals, trying to achieve their own goals. Everyone has some incentive to misinterpret and twist truth. It might be just so it fits with their own biases and world view little better. The only reasonable way to use information online is to follow evidence based information and look for trusthworthy official sources.
Teaching children about online manipulation without creating a paranoid world view subject to manipulation?
Ok, this is not going to be a well formulated question, because the concerns behind it are nebulous in my own head....