Misinformation, Social Media Habits, and News Media Literacy

• In Event: The 2016 Election and Social Media

Abstract

Amid concerns about the spread of misinformation and fake news on social media in the wake of the 2016 election, many scholars, educators and commentators see increased media literacy as a means to improve critical media consumption. In this study, we investigate the relationship between seeing and posting news and political content on social media websites, news media literacy beliefs, and attitudes about the prevalence of fake news on social media. This study finds that different social media habits contribute to NML beliefs, but in general posting news and political content on social media is associated with lower self-perceived media literacy, lower value for media literacy, and less knowledge of media structures. However, it is these news media literacy beliefs – especially seeing news media literacy as valuable for society – rather than social media habits that predict attitudes about misinformation on social media.

Authors

• Emily K Vraga, George Mason U

• Melissa Tully, University of Iowa