Does Skepticism Predict News Media Literacy: A Study on Turkish Young Adults.

The 2010’s are when information and informatics age coexist, information overload has been transformed into a mass engineering tool, “imposing bombardment” has become the norm. The most influential tool of this cultural-industrial act is news media. Efforts to educate young adults, who are most active in touch with information, in view of news media are needed. Skepticism has the potential to improve news media literacy of young adults. The present study investigates whether young adults’ skepticism levels predict young adults’ news media literacy levels. The research problem was analyzed with correlational research model. Two different research populations (Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University and Ataturk University) were determined for the purpose of the study. The results revealed positive, moderate, significant relationships between skepticism levels and news media literacy of young adults. “Self-determining” and “interpersonal understanding” competences - the components of skepticism - have a positive effect on news media literacy. The “search for knowledge” and “questioning mind” has the potential to positively affect news media literacy.