What Motivates University Students to Counter Fake News? : Examining Situational Perceptions, Referent Criterion, and New Media Literacy

<jats:p>Fake news identification has been widely studied in the past, but research on motivating individuals, particularly university students, to fact-check news and disseminate corrective information to counter fake news is lacking. Grounded on the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS), this study aims to examine the situational perceptions and referent criterion that motivate university students to counter fake news through communicative action and examine the influence of new media literacy on the situational perceptions and referent criterion. Based on 528 responses from an online survey, new media literacy is related to all STOPS factors in countering fake news. Situational perceptions are significantly related to situational motivation in countering fake news, while situational motivation and referent criterion significantly influence communicative action. The findings extend the existing literature on countering fake news and are expected to contribute to strategic planning in future anti-fake news intervention campaigns.</jats:p>