Literacy Concepts as an Intervention Strategy for Improving Fake News Knowledge, Detection Skills, and Curtailing the Tendency to Share Fake News in Nigeria.

PRESS; MASS media; DIGITAL technology; SOCIAL media; RESEARCH methodology; DISINFORMATION; INFORMATION literacy; COMPARATIVE studies; RANDOMIZED controlled trials; INTELLECT; COMMUNICATION; STATISTICAL sampling; EDUCATIONAL outcomes; EDUCATION

This study examined the role of literacy concepts (information, news, media, and digital literacies), as an intervention strategy, in improving fake news knowledge, detection skills, and curtailing the tendency to share fake news among social media users. In doing so, this study used the inoculation theory and message interpretation process (MIP) theory to provide a useful explanation for literacy concept intervention. An experiment was carried out to test the effects of literacy intervention on the treatment group which were later compared with the results deduced from the control group who did not receive any intervention. It was found that participants in the experimental group demonstrated a higher knowledge of fake news, better ability to detect fake news and shared more accurate news articles, as compared to their counterparts who were in the control group. Implications for research and practice were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Child & Youth Services is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)