Understanding Media Habits & Engaging Latino Communities

Latinos are the largest racial and ethnic group in the United States, comprising more than 60 million people. Yet, researchers know comparatively little about the information Latinos consume online, and how it shapes their political attitudes and beliefs. This limits the ability for multiple stakeholders — ranging from the academic community to national nonprofits to local community organizations — to understand this diverse and politically important group.

At this virtual event, scholars share dnew research from CSMaP's Bilingual Election Monitor project, which pairs survey responses and digital trace data to study Latino online media consumption and belief in misinformation narratives. Following the presentation, experts from civil society and community groups discussed the challenges our current digital media ecosystem presents for understanding and engaging Latino communities in politics.

Research Presentation (30 minutes)

• Marisa Abrajano - Professor, University of California, San Diego

• Jonathan Nagler - Co-Director, NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics

Panel Discussion (45 minutes)

• Roberta Braga - Founder & Executive Director, Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas

• Norberto Briceño - Social Media Director, Voto Latino

• Evelyn Pérez-Verdía - Founder, We Are Más; 2024 Information Futures Lab Visiting Fellow, Brown University

• Laura Zommer - Co-Founder & CEO, Factchequeado

• Zeve Sanderson - Executive Director, NYU's Center for Social Media and Politics (moderator)

Video

Additional Materials

The following are additional resources shared by panelists during the event:

• Bilingual Election Monitor Research Presentation

• Factchequeado Disinformation Report (English, Spanish)

• Factchequeado WhatsApp Chatbot

• International Journalists Network: 10 types of mis- and disinformation to watch out for ahead of the U.S. midterm elections

• We Are Más and Information Futures Lab project (English, Spanish)

• DDIA Memos

  • In and Out of the Rabbit Hole: Exploring Misinformation Adoption among Subgroups of Latinos in the United States

  • Unpacking Misinformation Adoption Among U.S. Latinos: Toward a Typology

  • Seeking Antidotes to Misinformation: An Analysis of Effective Counter-Strategies among U.S. Latinos

• Sign up for DDIA’s REDESCover newsletter, which regularly shares findings from a project monitoring more than 1,000 public WhatsApp groups of Latinos in the U.S.