1st Edition
Risk and Crisis Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic Muddled Messages
This book examines the challenges of communicating messages during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides recommendations for managing future global health crises.
Given that outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics are global crises that require global solutions, the book suggests that the world community needs to build resilient crisis management institutions and message management systems. Through international case studies, in-depth interviews, and textual, content, narrative, and document analysis, the book provides comprehensive accounts of how normative risk communication strategies were invoked, applied, disrupted, questioned, and changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores themes including crisis preparedness, outbreak communication, lockdown messages, communication uncertainty, risk message strategies, and the challenges of information disorders. It argues that trust in supranational and national institutions is crucial for the effective management of future global public health crises.
A thorough assessment of the multiple challenges faced by public health authorities and audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, this book will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and students in the field of Risk, Crisis and Health Communication and Public Health and Disaster Management.
1. The COVID-19 Pandemic
Introduction: “Communicate with Your People about the Risks”
Public Health Risk
Emergency Risk and Crisis Communication
The Purpose of Risk Communication
Public Health Preparedness
Instructional Communication
Persuasive Communication
Effective Risk and Crisis Communication
Conclusion
2. COVID-19: An Unexpected Pandemic?
Introduction
The Pandemic – The Black Swan or the Gray Rhino?
Pandemics in History
Public Health Preparedness
The Pandemic Crisis Response
Conclusion
3. The World’s First Digital Pandemic
Introduction
Audience Fragmentation
Algorithms, Bots, and AI
Manipulable Messages
Active Audiences
The Decline of Gatekeepers
New Forms of Gatekeeping
Many-to-Many Communication
Influencers as Sources of News
Conclusion
4. Outbreak Communication
Introduction
Timeliness of Outbreak Notifications
The ‘Crying Wolf’ Effect
Transparency in Outbreak Communication
The Political Aspects of Outbreaks
Unintended Consequences: Inform and Be Damned
Co-ordination and Collaboration
Perception of Risk
Conclusion
5: Lockdown Messages
Introduction
Lockdown: Revisiting Centuries-Old Strategies
Lockdown Messages. Adherence, Compliance, and Non-Compliance
Non-Compliance
Message Types
Case Studies
South Africa’s Thuma Mina
Appeal – “The Most Definitive Thuma Mina Moment”
Shift to a Discourse of War
Militarized Lockdown
Why Lockdown Couldn’t Work
Norway’s Dugnad Moment
Invitation til Dugnad: Shared Responsibility and Togetherness
Trust and Solidarity
Conclusion – “One-Size Does Not Fit All”
6. Communicating Uncertainty
Introduction
Defining Uncertainty
Sources of Uncertainty in COVID-19
Theories on Communication and Uncertainty
The Communicator
The Message
The Audience
Communicating Uncertainty During the Pandemic
What Are the Best Ways to Communicate Uncertainty?
Conclusion
7. Risk Messages, Form, and Context
Introduction
Strategic and Tactical Considerations
Information-Poor Context
Risk Information Vacuum
Message Purpose: What Messages Hope to Achieve
Message Presentation Formats
Numerical Communication: The Power and Politics of Numbers
Verbal Communication of Risk
Visual Presentation
Why Context Matters
Conclusion
8: Audiences and Messages
Introduction
The Audience
Multivocality and Multiple Publics
The Rhetorical Situation
The Cultural Context
Hard-to-Reach Audience
How to Overcome Obstacles with “Hard-to-Reach” Audiences
Communication-as-dialogue Approach
Reaching Distrustful Audiences via Trusted Communicators
Reaching Hard-to-Reach Audiences through Influencers
Conclusion
9: Public Trust
Introduction
Conceptualising Trust
Need for Trust
Public Trust in Political Leadership
From Ebola to COVID-19
Leveraging “Trust Capital”
Public Trust in Health Institutions
Vaccination: The Problem of Trust
Trust in Messengers
Trust in Media
Post-Truth and the Erosion of Trust
Conclusion
10: The Infodemic Scourge
Introduction
Data-Driven Pandemic
COVID-19 Information Disorders
Fake News in Pandemic Times
Beliefs in Conspiracy Theories
The Challenges of Filter Bubbles and Echo Chambers
Harmful Assertions
Misleading (False) Remedies
Traditional Asian Medicine
Africa: Banking on Herbal Remedies
Faith-Themed Misinformation
Scientific Misinformation and COVID-19 Vaccines
Political Misinformation
Combating the Infodemic
Conclusion
11: What We Have Learned from the Pandemic
Introduction
Learning from Crises: “A Threat Anywhere Is a Threat Everywhere”
Pandemic Preparedness: “Being Prepared Is the Key”
Crisis Communication Plans in the Age of AI
Understanding and Leveraging Digital Communication
Understanding the Fundamentals of Social Media
Revisiting the Role of the Mass Media
Understanding Audiences
Trust Is the Glue of Pandemic Communication
Trust in Public Authorities
Trusted Spokesperson
Culturally Specific Messages Delivered by Trusted Messengers
Messages Must Be Grounded on Reliable Data
Openness and Transparency in Communication
Timeliness and Consistency of Messages
Two-Way Crisis Communication
Combating Misinformation and Disinformation
Conclusion
Index
Biography
Martin N. Ndlela is a Professor of Crisis Communication at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway, and Research Associate at the Department of Strategic Communication, University of Johannesburg.
