My Private–Public Sphere: Women’s Information Strategies in Times of News Mistrust

Problematic information, such as mis- and disinformation, circulating in fragmented news ecosystems, has contributed to mistrust and information fatigue. Using survey data (N = 2,117) and two focus groups, we explore the intersections of women’s media use, political self-efficacy, and family care in Chile, a country with high social media penetration but low institutional and news trust. Our findings reveal that women actively curate their news intake to protect their mental well-being and that of their loved ones, which highlights the ethical and relational dimensions of their media practices and emphasizes their role as both information curators and guardians.