“Somali-Americans’ Media Use and Trust in News Sources”

Abstract

This dissertation is the culmination of a 10-year ethnographic study of immigrant news consumption, providing an in-depth view of Somali-American’s criticisms of mainstream news representation of their community, and examining the role of trust in media consumption. The results from this study inform traditional news media about different worldviews and what is needed to engage immigrant audiences. Data from this dissertation also sheds light on what the immigrants who participated in this study do to create their own media forums and build community. This document includes analyses from interviews, social media posts, public events, a pilot survey and newspaper coverage of Somalis.