Spotting Online News: A Mixed Method Study of Online News Engagement and Perceptions on Misinformation Interventions

Misinformation permeates online news media, making it hard for users to trust and verify content. Building upon prior work that highlights online news challenges and the importance of digital literacy skills, we examine user digital media skills, online news consumption behaviors, and perceptions of current misinformation tools. To better understand these dynamics, we conducted a formative, mixed methods study (n=34) that included a survey, two weeks of browser-based application logging using a Chrome plugin, and follow-up semi-structured interviews. Contradictions in the survey and log results indicate that participants in our sample often overestimate their news consumption habits. While information and news media literacy scores are generally high, less than half (47%, 16/34) exhibit lateral reading. We provide insights into users' challenges in navigating today's information landscape and propose effective integrated solutions. Interview findings inform the design of online news interventions and personal informatics tools to further improve media literacy while maintaining user privacy.