Role of gatekeeping on Facebook in creating information benefits for vulnerable, pregnant women in the rural United States

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate why and how gatekeepers on social networking sites (SNS) create what types of information benefits for gated, vulnerable, pregnant women in the rural United States.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study adopts “network gatekeeping” as a theoretical lens to implement a combination of deductive and inductive qualitative approaches for analyzing in-depth interviews with members and administrators of a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) Group on Facebook with a membership of over 500 pregnant women in rural Appalachia in the United States.FindingsThe VBAC group administrators' (a) vision of transforming the existing doctor-centric birth culture to a more mother-centric birth culture in the rural United States, (b) expertise and experience in healthcare and (c) valuing scientific, evidence-based information lead to recurring, authoritative but evolving manifestations of combinations of nine network gatekeeping mechanisms. Implementations of nine network gatekeeping mechanisms (i.e. localization, infrastructure, cost effect, channeling, censorship, regulation, editorial, user-interaction and value adding mechanisms) help VBAC group administrators control interactions and information on the group, thereby creating 16 information benefits for the gated, vulnerable women before, during and after pregnancy.Originality/valueThis sociological study of network gatekeeping posits and proves an “information value chain” (i.e. Why to create information benefits? – How to create information benefits? – What types of information benefits?) for vulnerable, pregnant women on Facebook. Rarely any study shows the role of network gatekeeping mechanisms in implementing an information value chain.

Seven information practices for alleviating information vulnerability

“…Social networks can play a key role in providing the sustainable informational and emotional support needed to cope with and overcome information vulnerability and its consequences (Potnis and Halladay, 2021). Collective coping and building information networks are the two manifestations of the information practice of building a support system.…”

“…To maintain the quality of service offered by IBM's Spoken Web platform, gatekeepers continuously monitor voice queries and responses submitted by farmers and delete incomplete or irrelevant questions and responses such as Bollywood songs and voice messages in foul language posted by farmers (Chengalur-Smith et al , 2021). Administrators of Facebook groups for new mothers also play a key role in monitoring information sharing in their groups and actively suppress false information and fights (Mansour, 2020; Potnis and Halladay, 2021). It is the moral responsibility of gatekeepers to correct false information and share the truth with members of their communities (Cooke, 2017; Mansour, 2020).…”

“…Individuals craft, learn or acquire rules and norms of communication with others when seeking information from sources and sharing information via channels. New mothers who join Facebook groups for seeking information and emotional support learn acceptable rules of communication with group members (Mansour, 2020; Potnis and Halladay, 2021). Some of them learn and acquire the communication norms by observing others.…”

“…For instance, the veracity and completeness of the information can make it trustworthy and useful and vice versa. Although criteria for the quality of information and mechanisms for attaining and maintaining the quality of information might vary depending on the individual preference, time of assessing the quality of information, tasks at hand and other contextual factors (Chengalur-Smith et al , 2021; Loudon et al , 2015; Mansour, 2020; Potnis and Halladay, 2021; Sutton et al , 2008).…”