How Migrants Experience Information Uncertainty and Vulnerability
Lessons for (Dis)information Studies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2414845 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ignacio Siles (0000-0002-9725-8694, Universidad de Costa Rica, corresponding author), María Fernanda Salas (0000-0002-4834-8415, University of Padua), Silvio Waisbord (0000-0003-0026-7111, George Washington University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2024-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Media + Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2056-3051 • E-ISSN: 2056-3051 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/20563051241292571 |
| OpenAlex | W4403888500 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 31 |
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
The Disinformation Age
Conditions of Mediation
The practice turn in contemporary theory
The ‘connected migrant’
Faith and uncertainty
The Routledge Companion to Media Disinformation and Populism
L’expérience culturelle
The Migrant Passage
World Migration Report 2022
Thematic Analysis
Populism, Religion, and Social Media in Central America
The gap between here and there
Syrian refugees and information precarity
Theorising media as practice
Costa Rica as a Destination for Migrants in Need of International Protection
Calling upon the Sacred
Information seeking, technology use, and vulnerability among migrants at the United States–Mexico border
Algorithms as facts and fabrications
Experience
Precarious migrants, migration regimes and digital technologies
Japa
Smart Refugees
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |