Abstract
ABSTRACT In an online environment where mis- and disinformation are flourishing, credibility evaluations of online news have become vital. The information processing literature suggests that individuals can either engage in systematic or in heuristic credibility evaluations, but whether this also applies to evaluations of online news and to the adolescent population is still unclear. Using an online survey (N = 338) with Flemish 15–19-year-olds, we examine adolescents’ credibility evaluation strategies. Adolescents reported using significantly more systematic evaluations than heuristic evaluations. Moreover, our findings revealed that only systematic evaluations contributed to their perceived credibility evaluation skills. Lastly, media use did not predict their credibility evaluation strategy, and attitudes and knowledge about the news only partially predicted systematic credibility evaluations. These findings are valuable for future research on credibility evaluation strategies and for practitioners and educators focusing on news literacy and credibility evaluation skills.
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