Adam Maksl

Indiana University Southeast · Journalism

The rapid spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic has increased calls for news literacy to help mitigate endorsement of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and other falsehoods. In two cross-sectional online surveys conducted in October 2020 (N = 1,502) and July 2021 (N = 1,330), this study examines relationships between news literac...

This authoritative annotated document collection surveys and explains efforts to censor, intimidate, suppress—and reform and improve—news organizations and journalism in America, from the newspapers of colonial times to the social media that saturates the present day. This primary source collection will help readers to understand how the press has...

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...

Despite renewed interest in news literacy (NL) as a way to combat mis- and dis-information, existing scholarship is plagued by insufficient theory building and inadequate conceptualization of both “NL” and its application. We address this concern by offering a concise definition of NL and suggest five key knowledge and skill domains that comprise t...

The Internet has transformed journalism, especially the roles of journalists and audiences, in ways that have profound implications for media literacy. Digital news is created in iterative, integrated environments, in which both human and nonhuman agents influence how news is created, filtered, distributed, and consumed. In particular, social media...

This book provides a comprehensive and impartial overview of the state of American journalism and news-gathering in the 21st century, with a special focus on the rise―and meaning―of "fake news." • Reflects an easy-to-navigate question-and-answer format • Uses quantifiable data from respected sources as the foundation for examining every issue •...

Conspiracy theories flourish in the wide-open media of the digital age, spurring concerns about the role of misinformation in influencing public opinion and election outcomes. This study examines whether news media literacy predicts the likelihood of endorsing conspiracy theories and also considers the impact of literacy on partisanship. A survey o...

Focus groups with teenagers (ages 15–18) were conducted to understand how they define news; what motivates them to consume news; what news sources they use; and how much knowledge about the news media industry, content, and effects they bring to the task of consuming and thinking critically about the news. Findings suggested exposure to news came l...

A survey of college students showed those who had taken a news literacy course had significantly higher levels of news media literacy, greater knowledge of current events, and higher motivation to consume news, compared with students who had not taken the course. The effect of taking the course did not diminish over time. Results validate the News...

Abstract The potential harm and benefit associated with sharing personal information online is a topic of debate and discussion. Using survey methods (n=872), we explore whether attainment of social capital online relates to greater comfort with sharing personal information. We found that perceptions of bridging and bonding social capital earned fr...

Using a framework previously applied to other areas of media literacy, this study developed and assessed a measurement scale focused specifically on critical news media literacy. Our scale appears to successfully measure news media literacy as we have conceptualized it based on previous research, demonstrated through assessments of content, constru...

Support for student expression and First Amendment attitudes were measured among Missouri high school principals (n = 86). Findings demonstrated that the third-person effect was a significant predictor of these attitudes. The more principals perceived mass media to affect others over themselves, the less supportive they were for student free expres...

Research on the Willingness to Self-Censor (WTSC) scale posits that the desire to withhold one's opinion is an intrinsic, as opposed to situational, trait. This study of high school media advisers (N=563) revealed that advisers who rated high on WTSC were more likely to state lower levels of comfort with the coverage of five controversial topic are...

Using the three-component Maslach Burnout Inventory (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment), results indicate that high school journalism advisers (N = 563) are not experiencing burnout on any level. Journalism advisers are not experiencing high levels of wear and tear from the job, they enjoy working closely with their s...