Students Assessing Digital News and Misinformation

Previous research has highlighted how young people struggle to distinguish news from misinformation. In this study, we investigate how ca. 400 students determine the trustworthiness of false, biased and credible news. We find that students use different strategies depending on what they evaluate. For example, students who fail to debunk a manipulated image often rely on what they see in the image in contrast to students who determine credibility upon what is not in the image. Students finding junk news credible may have special problems separating different kinds of sources. We identify potentials and pitfalls among students important for further investigation, research and a focus on education.