Media consumption in a new home: a qualitative study on news exposure (real and fake) among Filipino immigrants in Singapore

Abstract

This study investigates the exposure and response to fake news of Filipino immigrants in Singapore by examining their media consumption habits and how these habits are shaped by acculturation strategies and other motivations for media use, and taking a look at their strategies when faced with disinformation. Through in-depth, semistructured interviews with 29 Filipino immigrants in Singapore, this study finds that participation in the host country’s cultural space and preservation of connection with the country of origin, together with other needs that the individual wants to gratify, such as the need for psychologically consistent information, are factors that shape the choice of messages, sources and channels. These media patterns affect the exposure and susceptibility of Filipino immigrants in Singapore in several ways. The study finds that there is a similarity between the messages sought and the fake news received, and many rely on interpersonal and alternative media sources that supply pro-attitudinal information. The identification of strategies employed when faced with disinformation, such as dependence on personal judgement and preferred external sources, also allows for the understanding of how media consumers can be susceptible to fake news.