How Migrants Experience Information Uncertainty and Vulnerability

Lessons for (Dis)information Studies

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2414845
AutoresIgnacio Siles (0000-0002-9725-8694, Universidad de Costa Rica, autor de correspondencia), María Fernanda Salas (0000-0002-4834-8415, University of Padua), Silvio Waisbord (0000-0003-0026-7111, George Washington University)
Año2024
Volumen10
Número4
Fecha de publicación2024-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSocial Media + Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2056-3051 • E-ISSN: 2056-3051
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/20563051241292571
OpenAlexW4403888500
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas31

This article develops a phenomenological approach to examine the intersection of global migration and rising concerns about disinformation. Drawing on interviews with Venezuelans en route to the United States-Mexico border through Central America, the article analyzes how undocumented migrants live amid information precarity, how they relate to disinformation, and how disinformation affects their decisions. We demonstrate the centrality of information and communication practices in managing (dis)information during the migration experience. This includes distrusting traditional media, using various platforms like social media and messaging apps, and exchanging both information and disinformation with others. By adopting a phenomenological approach, the article demonstrates that migrants' relationship with (dis)information is shaped by their conviction that each person has unique life experiences and a profoundly religious view of life and destiny. The article thus advocates for a deeper exploration of migrants' sociocultural beliefs rather than focusing solely on issues such as information accuracy, accessibility, flows, and platforms when accounting for disinformation. In addition to valuable lessons for (dis)information studies, this approach could enrich communication interventions tailored to migrant communities in vulnerable conditions

Computer security · Data science · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Computer Science · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Migration, Refugees, and Integration