Misinformation poses a threat to democratic processes and informed public discourse, and countering it  requires a population with strong news literacy skills. News literates can critically evaluate the reliability  of information and make informed decisions in our complex media environment. However, the tools we  use to measure news literacy often rely on dense text and complex language, making them inaccessible  to a vulnerable group: people with low functional literacy. Functional literacy is the ability to use reading,  writing, and math effectively in daily life. In the Netherlands, over 2.5 million adults struggle with these  skills, making it difficult for them to engage with news or assess the credibility of information. 

Surprisingly, the group that is most vulnerable to misinformation is often excluded from both news literacy  assessments and interventions. Consequently, we lack insight into the news literacy levels of this group,  making it difficult to tailor interventions to their needs. It also prevents us from evaluating the  effectiveness of existing interventions, as we cannot accurately measure their impact. This project aims to  fill this gap by adapting our recently developed news literacy scale to be more accessible for individuals  with lower literacy levels. This can help researchers and practitioners gain deeper insight into their current news literacy levels, and ultimately develop more effective interventions to empower this vulnerable  group. 

The project will begin with a literature review in which the AAs map out which linguistic, (audio)visual, and  survey design features increase or decrease the accessibility of measurement tools. Interviews with  experts in (news) literacy and science communication will further guide the redesign. The revised tool will  be pilot-tested and adjusted based on feedback from the target group. Without such inclusive  measurements, we risk designing solutions that fail to reach those who need them most to navigate our  complex digital society.

Supervisors:

Academy Assistants: tba