Community-building through adult media literacy: Challenging the spread of misinformation, polarization and distrust through community-based research and participatory education

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Five
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT040 (Sunday)

Abstract

This dissertation investigates adult media literacy as a pathway to fostering digital agency and addressing localized challenges of misinformation, polarization, and distrust. While media literacy has traditionally focused on youth, this study centers on older adults, engaging them as co-designers and co-facilitators of their own learning. Grounded in critical and participatory media literacy and adult learning theory, the project employs phenomenological, CBPR, and PAR methods to explore how older adults navigate digital media, construct trust, and build resilience. By developing and testing a participatory model of adult media literacy education, this research contributes theoretical and practical insights for cultivating civic responsibility and digital empowerment in complex media environments.

Author

• Richard Alan Berry, University of Maine