The Function of Race, Class, and Trust in Risk Communication in Post-Katrina New Orleans

• In Event: Race, Class, Myth, and Neoliberal Agendas

Abstract

This study focuses on the influence of race and socioeconomic class on trust in sources of risk communication in post-Katrina New Orleans. A 37-question telephone survey was conducted in Orleans Parish in June and July of 2012. There were 414 completed surveys, gathered from 278 landlines and 136 cellphones. The overall margin of error was +/- 4.8% at a 95% confidence interval. Four hypotheses were tested for each of two research questions: 1) race; 2) class (socioeconomic status, or “SES”). Indices for trust and SES were created. After controlling for SES, Whites expressed significantly more trust in mass media, local community leaders and spokespersons, and interpersonal communication than Blacks did. After controlling for race, SES was found to be negatively correlated with trust in local TV news, non-news websites, and social media sites. Tests of correlation were run on frequency of media use and trust in sources of risk messages.
Keywords: Katrina, risk, race, class, trust, media

Author

• Bruno F. Battistoli, Fairleigh Dickinson University