Classroom contexts: Teachers talk teaching media literacy
(Sakshi Bhalla, Michelle Nelson & Michael Spikes)
Published in Journal of Media Literacy Education, https://doi.org/10.23860/JMLE-2025-17-2-3
In this study, we examined the lived experiences of educators who engage with youth through media literacy education. While prior research has examined the efficacy of media literacy interventions, little attention has been paid to the contexts in which they occur. Our analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews highlights how structural context reveals several “divides,” shaping how media literacy is taught and experienced.
Three major themes emerged: (1) teachers and high school students inhabit distinct media worlds, shaping their understanding of media differently; (2) the socio-economic status of a school influences whether media literacy is taught functionally or analytically; (3) media choices and political context impact how media literacy education unfolds.
These divides create gaps between students and teachers, undermining the effectiveness of media literacy efforts. We call for bottom-up approaches that address resource limitations and support more cohesive media literacy education outcomes.
You can read the full study by clicking here.
Developing and Validating a 15-Item True/False Measure of News Literacy Knowledge
(Adam Maksl, Peter Boedeker, Emily Vraga, Stephanie Craft, Melissa Tully & Seth Ashley)
Published in Communication Research, https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502241284406
Given the growing interest in the potential importance of news literacy around the world, a theoretically grounded and empirically validated measure of news literacy is essential. Building on existing theory, we developed and validated a 15-item true/false measure of news literacy knowledge. This measure comprehensively operationalizes the five C’s of news literacy—context, creation, content, circulation, and consumption—in a concise, adaptable, knowledge-based format. While this measure is designed and tested in the U.S. context, our process of operationalizing these complicated concepts and the novel true/false format facilitates its applicability to those interested in studying news literacy around the globe.
This research expands on the following two previous publications:
Tully, M., Maksl, A., Ashley, S., Vraga, E. K., & Craft, S. (2021). Defining and Conceptualizing News Literacy. Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, DOI: 10.1177/14648849211005888
Vraga, E. K., Tully, M., Maksl, A., Craft, S., & Ashley, S. (2020). Theorizing News Literacy Behaviors. Communication Theory, DOI: 10.1093/ct/qtaa005