This study examined how individual media literacy competencies affect response behavior towards fake news, which is causing damage to individuals and society. Media literacy competencies are being emphasized as a means to minimize this damage. Therefore, the study investigated the relationship between individual demographic characteristics and media literacy competencies (critical competency, use production competency, social communication competency) concerning information distrust, information confirmation, and active response. This investigation utilized secondary data from the Korea Communications Commission's 2021 ‘Media Literacy Measurement Study to Support Media Education.’ The results of the study revealed a positive relationship between information distrust and critical competency, as well as a positive relationship between information confirmation and critical competency, social communication competency, use, and production competency. Additionally, active response exhibited a positive relationship with male participants, those with lower educational backgrounds, individuals with lower media usage times, critical competency, and social communication competency. Conversely, there was a negative relationship with use and production competency. This study found that media literacy competences which are emphasized as countermeasures against fake news, are related to fake news response behavior. Accordingly, as a countermeasure against fake news, it is proposed to strengthen individual media literacy competences through media education.
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Shim et al. (2024) studied this question.
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