Defining and conceptualizing news literacy

Bibliographic Data

ID7478665
AuthorsMelissa Tully (0000-0003-1850-3477, University of Iowa, corresponding author), Adam Maksl (0000-0001-5191-9525, Indiana University Southeast), Seth Ashley (0000-0001-5268-537X, Boise State University), Emily K Vraga (0000-0002-3016-3869, University of Minnesota), Stephanie Craft (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Year2021
Volume23
Issue8
Pages1589-1606
Publication date2021-03-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1464-8849 • E-ISSN: 1741-3001
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14648849211005888
OpenAlexW3148727485
LanguageEN
Citations received48
References cited60

Interest in news literacy inside and outside the academy has grown alongside related concerns about the quality of news and information available. Attempts to fully define, explicate and operationalize news literacy, however, are scattered. Drawing on literature across journalism and mass communication, we propose a definition of news literacy that combines knowledge of news production, distribution and consumption with skills that help audiences assert control over their relationship with news. We propose that knowledge and skills should be conceptualized across five domains: context, creation, content, circulation and consumption. This explication offers a clear, concise and cohesive path for research about news literacy, especially empirical testing to evaluate news literacy and its effectiveness in contributing to relevant behaviours. This framework also offers a consistent, yet flexible, approach to measuring news literacy across diverse contexts

Consumption (sociology · Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Explication · Geography · Information literacy · Journalism · Literacy · Media studies · Operationalization · Pedagogy · Political science · Public relations · Quality (philosophy · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Media Studies and Communication · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Social Media and Politics

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