A Comparative Study of Media Literacy Among Students of Kabul and Alberoni University:(Case Study: Journalism faculties)

Abstract

Media literacy—the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create 
media messages—is an essential competency in the contemporary 
information age, particularly for journalism students as future 
producers and disseminators of information. This study compares 
the media literacy levels of journalism students at Kabul University 
and Alberoni University, considering differences in educational, 
cultural, and infrastructural contexts. A descriptive-analytical 
survey design was employed using a structured five-point Likert
scale questionnaire. Instrument validity was confirmed through 
expert review, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s 
alpha (α = 0.832 for Alberoni University and α = 0.706 for Kabul 
University). Using stratified random sampling, 226 students were 
selected from a population of 560, including 132 from Kabul 
University and 94 from Alberoni University. Data were analyzed 
using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests. Results showed 
that Kabul University students performed better in analyzing media 
message objectives (94.0% vs. 91.5%) and identifying hidden 
agendas (86.4% vs. 83.0%). Regarding source verification, 72.3% of 
Alberoni students reported examining sources before trusting 
media content, compared with 68.2% of Kabul University students. 
Social media usage was also examined, with the t-test indicating a 
statistically significant difference between the groups (t = 3.24, df = 
224, p = 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.43). No significant differences were 
found in other media literacy dimensions (p > 0.05). Overall, 
students at both universities demonstrated moderate to high self
reported media literacy. Institutional resources, curriculum quality, 
and media access may influence certain dimensions. The findings 
support targeted curricular interventions, technology integration, 
and enhanced faculty expertise, but should not be generalized 
beyond the study population.