Media Literacy Tools in Combating Disinformation and Fake News in Social Media

Abstract

If mainstream media meant one sender and inordinate receivers, nowadays, new media brought the chance and challenge to have numberless senders and receivers at the same time, in a network of information. Along with polyphonic chunks, inaccurate information penetrates the echo chambers we create. The danger is that unless timely spotted, it sows disinformation and polarization. The solution resides in media literacy skills, in raising awareness over types of communication products meant for malicious use especially within social media where user-generated content contributes to proliferating and spreading the content at incredible speed. The present paper is meant to present ways that help individuals avoid being subject to mal-intended behavioral and cognitive influence.