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.