University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Information behaviors, sources and channels during three crises

Colón-Aguirre, Mónica

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/113759

Description

Title
Information behaviors, sources and channels during three crises
Author(s)
Colón-Aguirre, Mónica
Issue Date
2022-02-28
Keyword(s)
  • Information behaviors
  • crisis
  • Hurricane Maria
  • earthquakes
  • COVID-19
Abstract
Crisis affects the way in which individuals interact with information. This study will focus on the case of Puerto Rican adults living in the island and their information behaviors during three crisis scenarios. This work is a phenomenological exploration into the lived experiences of 15 Puerto Rican adults related to their information behaviors, especially during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria (2017), an earthquake sequence (2018-2019), and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 – present). Preliminary results indicate that each crisis created different information contexts which affected the participants’ information behaviors, with almost complete lack of information during hurricane Maria, participants depended on one-on-one face-to-face communication and radio for information. This is compared to the almost uninterrupted flow of information during the earthquake sequence, and the information onslaught related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these crisis scenarios had deep implications for the way in which participants stayed informed in their daily lives, since most indicated almost a complete switch to online and digital platforms which have replaced traditional channels such as television, print and radio. This information is relevant to anyone interested in the information behaviors of minoritized groups, as well as those who seek to expand conversations regarding information access and resilience in the face of future crises.
Publisher
iSchools
Type of Resource
Other
Language
eng
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/113759
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2022 is held by Mónica Colón-Aguirre. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the author.

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