Implications of Similarities and Differences Amongst Media Literacy Skills and Trust Across Communities of Color

Authors

• Erica Weintraub Austin, Washington State University
• Nadia Ishrat Alamgir, Washington State University
• Alexandra Elenitsa Fil, Washington State University
• Sultana Ismet Jerin, Washington State University
• Di Mu, Texas A&M International University
• Albert Junior Nyarko, University of Kentucky
• Folake Racheal Okor, Washington State University
• Pearl Omolara Oladele, Washington State University
• Hae Yeon Seo, Louisiana State University
• Andrew D. Sutherland, Washington State University

Document Type

Research Article

Abstract

A 2020 survey of U.S. adults found that nonwhite respondents tended to report lower levels of media literacy than white respondents. However, their media literacy skills were associated with better COVID-19 knowledge and less acceptance of COVID-19 disinformation. This secondary analysis of the dataset (N=1264) explored how aspects of media literacy and media trust varied across communities of color. No significant differences in online information efficacy were found. White respondents scored higher than Hispanic/Latiné and Native American/Indigenous respondents on media literacy for source, and higher than Black and Hispanic/Latiné respondents on media literacy for content. White respondents also reported higher science media literacy than all communities of color. Asian American respondents reported higher trust in news and social media than Hispanic/Latiné respondents. In contrast, white respondents reported lower trust in social media than Asian, Black, and Native American respondents. No consistent pattern emerged for COVID-19 misperceptions, suggesting that vulnerability to misinformation was not confined to any single group. Taken together, differences in media literacy skills and media trust across communities of color highlight the need for culturally tailored communication strategies to enhance message relevance.

Recommended Citation

Austin, E., Alamgir, N., Fil, A., Jerin, S., Mu, D., Nyarko, A., Okor, F., Oladele, P., Seo, H., & Sutherland, A. (2026). Implications of Similarities and Differences Amongst Media Literacy Skills and Trust Across Communities of Color. Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle-preprints/58

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.