Confronting Uncertainty: COVID-19 Information Gathering Practices of Refugees in Kenya
Open Access
- Author:
- Casey, Mikayla
- Area of Honors:
- Security and Risk Analysis
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Carleen Maitland, Thesis Supervisor
Marc Aaron Friedenberg, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- COVID-19
informatics
knowledge acquisition
pandemic
crisis communication
Kenya
refugee - Abstract:
- The global pandemic stemming from COVID-19 has dramatically altered lifestyles around the world. As physical distancing requirements began to necessitate the replacement of in-person interactions with virtual communications, the information gathering practices of many individuals have dramatically shifted. More essential information about the virus and how to prevent it has been published online, even as uncertainty of the true impact of the virus still remained. This emphasis on online communication has noteworthy implications for both individuals and organizations in communication and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly true for refugees. Through survey data from refugees in Kenya, this study examines refugees’ information practices and the impact on their understanding of the virus and trust in the government’s efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis. The research helps illuminate the ways in which traditional and online news networks interact with refugee audience knowledge and associated trust in crisis situations. Several studies regarding refugee information needs as well as crisis communication models have been conducted over the past decade, and the need for a study uniting the two areas is especially important during the current global pandemic. The data used in this study were collected through a June 2020 survey conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Bureau for East, Horn of Africa & The Great Lakes Region. The 12-section survey was conducted via phone and related to COVID-19 and life in Kenya. Both refugees and citizens of Kenya were selected to be interviewed using stratified random sampling. Data for this study were selected from this survey, limiting survey respondents to those who had identified as refugees and had completed section 11 of the survey relating to COVID-19 government trust. This data revealed the continued importance of traditional and varied media in official communications, especially in times of crisis. For future communications in public health and other crises, communication leaders are urged to utilize a variety of communication strategies to effectively instill messages to the general public, including but not limited to web-based sources for both easy-to-understand and comprehensive information.