Abstract
This study examines the engagement behavior of the social media users with regard to fake political news in Pakistan with moderating role of media literacy and political orientation. Previous scholars have worked on the engagement behavior of social media users related to false information, but this study aims at bridging theoretical gap as well as research gap. On theoretical gap, this study presents a conceptual model to measure engagement behavior in theoretical context of media literacy, elaboration likelihood, truth bias and, echo chamber. This model assesses level of media literacy skills in users that may moderate engagement behavior while exposing to fake political news. As the government in Pakistan, has already introduced controversial PECA ordinance in reaction to disseminate fake political news so this study will also help in examining role of political orientation in spreading hearsay too. This study may help the government to assess need to introduce media literacy programs for the young generation living in the digital age. The survey uses quota sampling, in which the researcher selects the respondents from Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta, the capital cities representing four provinces with equal ratio of gender, rural urban and education with the sample size of respondents who used social media. Data is analysed using smart PLS.
Presenters
Atif AshrafAssistant Professor, Faculty of Media and Communication Studies, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Media Literacy, ELM, Confirmation Bias, Political Orientation, Social Media
