A Model for Examining the Relation of News Media Literacy Skills, News Processing and Political Knowledge Levels

 
The ultimate goal of this study is to develop a scale for measuring news media literacy skills (SNMLS). This is achieved and examined through the factor analysis and the internal reliability of the scale that is proved (Cronbach's Alpha= 0.751, N= 23 items). This scale will help in measuring the university student’s levels after studying media literacy skills courses or programs.
The educational background is a controlling variable. Therefore, the sample is divided into three main groups according to the fields which are media field (28.8%), field of political science (11.3%), while all other fields are in one group called ‘Other’(59.9%).
The frequency of using the Internet through PC, tabs and/or mobile phones per day showed a high percentage of students who use it more than 3 and less than 7 hours (48.1%). Moreover, the findings regarding following online newspapers per day showed a high percentage of 61.3% for following online newspapers Less than 3 hours per day.
There is no statistical significance between undergraduate and graduate students concerning the news processing levels and their levels of news media literacy skills but there is statistical their levels of political knowledge. This indicates that the educational stage has no influence on both groups concerning two variables which are levels of processing news systematically or heuristically and their levels of news media literacy skills. On the other hand, there is a statistical difference due to the educational stage on the students’ levels of political knowledge.
In comparing the 3 main variables between the 3 groups of students who are studying media or politics or other majors, the results revealed no statistical significance between the three groups concerning heuristic news processing levels (P value= 0.304) and political knowledge levels (P value= 0.591). But, there is statistical difference between the three groups concerning systematic news processing levels (P value= 0.001) and levels of news media literacy skills (P value= 0.000). This means that the difference in the educational field of the students didn’t make difference in their levels of processing news heuristically, or their levels of political knowledge. At the same time, statistical results revealed that the educational field has an impact on the three groups in processing the news systematically and in their levels of news media literacy skills