Digital media literacy and perceived fake news handling skills among Arab social media users: evidence from a cross-national survey

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Introduction This study examines the relationship between digital media literacy and supporting the ability of Arab social media users to confront fake news and misinformation spread through these networks, particularly in light of the rapid transformation of the digital communication environment and the growing reliance on social media as a primary source of news. Methods The study employed a survey methodology using an electronic questionnaire administered to a sample of 800 young men and women from three Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Yemen. The study was grounded in an integrative theoretical framework combining digital media literacy and Cognitive Information Processing Theory in order to explain the relationship between media-related competencies and cognitive abilities in handling news content. Results The findings revealed high levels of digital media literacy, cognitive processing, and skills related to identifying and handling fake news among the participants, although some variation emerged across the different dimensions. Skills related to verification and cross-checking sources appeared more developed than those associated with in-depth critical analysis and the detection of logical fallacies and manipulative content. The results also demonstrated statistically significant positive correlations between digital media literacy and both cognitive information processing and fake news handling skills, highlighting the central role of media literacy in fostering critical thinking and responsible media engagement. In addition, the findings indicated that the findings also indicated that higher social media use intensity was significantly associated with higher reported levels of these skills, while no statistically significant differences were found with respect to most demographic variables. Discussion While no statistically significant differences were found with respect to most demographic variables. The study recommends the further development of digital media literacy programs across the Arab world, with particular emphasis on strengthening advanced critical analysis skills and enhancing the ability to detect emerging forms of digital disinformation. Such efforts would contribute to promoting media awareness and digital citizenship among Arab social media users.

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