Risk communication in an informal settlement during COVID-19: Case of Dinaweng, Bloemfontein South Africa

Abstract

This article interrogates the nuances of risk communication in a poor neighbourhood of South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that risk communication had multifaceted implications for managing and governing the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic has coincided with the information age, where multiple communication channels affect the success of risk communication through miscommunication, false news, or distortion. Using a qualitative study premised on a phenomenological research design, data were collected from 60 purposively sampled residents in Bloemfontein to capture their perspectives regarding risk communication on COVID-19. This data was triangulated with secondary sources to enhance the validity of the findings. Among the secondary data sources are reviews of news media outlets reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic at the international and the local level. The study's findings reveal that the poor residing in informal settlements are marginalised in risk communication. This is mainly a result of the digital divide that has resulted in challenges for the poor communities in accessing specific news channels, while also making it difficult for them to validate some information.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Risk communication
• Infodemic
• Misinformation