Disasters and community uses of media: how hurricane Maria impacted vulnerable Puerto Ricans
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5380/dma.v67i.98704Keywords:
hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico, disaster, infrastructureAbstract
This study examines how vulnerable populations in Puerto Rico experienced and coped with the total collapse of communications infrastructure before, during, and after Hurricane Maria. As power and communication systems failed, residents urgently sought news and information from any available source to protect their lives and property while attempting to understand Maria's impacts. The authors conducted ten focus groups across different regions of the island, employing confirmation bias theory and media dependency theory as analytical frameworks. Findings revealed that analog radio emerged as the sole operational communication system capable of providing information to all segments of Puerto Rican society. The study demonstrates how Maria's catastrophic damage affected the entire population, with disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable. This research provides novel insights into communities' widespread dependence on digital and electronic formats during major crises.
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