Combatting the Misinformation Crisis: A Systematic Review of the Literature on Characteristics and Effectiveness of Media Literacy Interventions

Abstract

Due to the sheer amount of misinformation in current media environments, there is an urgent need for effective media literacy interventions that broadly protect people from its negative effects. However, such interventions do not always have their desired impact, calling for a better understanding of the factors influencing their efficacy. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review on 80 experimental studies, following the PRISMA checklist. Interestingly, findings show that the effectiveness of interventions depended on the outcome variables targeted, rather than on specific intervention characteristics. While the majority of interventions enhanced users’ ability to identify misinformation, the effects on psychological outcomes (e.g., attitudes) were mixed. Long-term effects also varied, with some studies reporting sustained impacts over weeks, while others did not. Moreover, few studies assessed improvements in (self-perceived) media literacy. Based on these findings we propose several suggestions for future research and recommendations for developing more effective media literacy interventions.