Media Literacy and Misinformation : Exploring How Egyptian University Students Engage with News on Social Media

Sammanfattning

In an age when misinformation is no longer an exception in digital media, university students encounter it as part of their daily social media experience. This study explores how Egyptian university students understand journalism and navigate misinformation on social media. It investigates how trust, skepticism, and verification practices are shaped in a digital environment dominated by algorithms and viral content, and how media literacy education influences these practices. Grounded in theories of journalism in democratic societies, audience authentication, and civic media literacy, the study employs semi-structured qualitative interviews with 29 students from public and private universities in Cairo, Egypt, a neo-authoritarian media context where press freedom is heavily restricted and state-aligned narratives control. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis, and five main themes emerged. The findings show that students value journalism in principle but often distrust its practice in Egypt. Verification is highly selective and guided by personal relevance rather than civic responsibility. Media literacy increases critical thinking and awareness of misinformation, but does not necessarily lead to public engagement. The study contributes by showing how emotional fatigue, distrust, and algorithms shape news behavior. Media literacy education serves more as self-protection against the spread of false online news rather than becoming part of the democratic civic society that fights misinformation risks.