New media literacy and news trustworthiness: An application of importance–performance analysis

Abstract

Previous studies have primarily focused on the detection of fake news using artificial intelligence or identifying it through analysis of politically charged topics and their implications. However, studies have rarely systematically analyzed the characteristics of fake news from the perspective of readers. Little empirical evidence exists demonstrating the positive role of the new media literacy (NML) in assisting adolescents in recognizing fake news. This study examined the relationship among Taiwanese students' level of NML and their performance and perception of the importance of using news trustworthiness (NT) attributes to discern fake news while interacting with media. The cross-sectional study was conducted through a questionnaire survey, and 563 responses were included in the analysis. Importance-performance analysis (IPA) and canonical correlation analysis techniques were used to validate the multidimensional relationships between NML and NT. From the IPA with data-centered quadrants and diagonal-based schemes, 31 of the 32 NT attributes were self-evaluated with lower performance than importance. Canonical correlation analysis showed just a slight correlation between NML and NT. This study seeks to provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of students’ NML and NT skills, and its findings may help to further equip digital readers with the skillset needed to discern facts from falsehoods.