Learning Communication Channel Selection Lessons From The Earthquake In Bahía De Caráquez, Ecuador, 2016

Efficient and effective communication in the wake of a disaster is essential to recovery efforts. Most disaster communication research has explored how individuals use communication channels in the Global North or in urban areas. Because media availability and selection are different in the Global South, it is important understand how communities in the Global South choose information sources. We used questionnaire and interview methods to understand how community members who experienced the earthquake in Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador in 2016 used various mediated and interpersonal channels to receive and disseminate information. Two hundred individuals completed surveys, and ten interviews were conducted with key informants. Results suggest that interpersonal channels, particularly family, are highly correlated and are used much more often than mediated channels. Cell phones were the most used mediated channel of communication. These data indicate that Global Northern derived strategies emphasizing social media and mediated communication may not be efficient or effective. We argue that an emphasis on a two-step flow of communication–one where family members with access to cellular technology disseminate mediated information through interpersonal networks–may be more effective and efficient in certain Global South contexts.