Political Communication and COVID-19: Governance and Rhetoric in Times of Crisis

Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Tables -- Contributors -- Foreword -- Introduction: Political communication, governance and rhetoric in times of crisis -- Case Studies -- Chapter 1 World Health Organisation: The challenges of providing global leadership -- Chapter 2 China: Diversion, ingratiation and victimisation -- Chapter 3 Japan: New directions for digital Japan -- Chapter 4 South Korea: No shutdown, no lockdown -- Chapter 5 The United States: Politics versus science? -- Chapter 6 The EU: The story of a tragic hero and the 27 dwarfs -- Chapter 7 France: An unpopular government facing an unprecedented crisis -- Chapter 8 Australia: A triumph of sorts -- Chapter 9 Germany: Between a patchwork and best-practice -- Chapter 10 India: A spectacle of mismanagement -- Chapter 11 Italy: The frontrunner of the Western countries in an unexpected crisis -- Chapter 12 Spain: Managing the uncertain while facing economic collapse -- Chapter 13 Sweden: Lone hero or stubborn outlier? -- Chapter 14 The UK: From consensus to confusion -- Chapter 15 Egypt: Emotive speech masks a complicated reality -- Chapter 16 Russia: A glass wall -- Chapter 17 Austria: A ski resort as the virus slingshot of Europe -- Chapter 18 Iran: Disciplinary strategies and governmental campaigning -- Chapter 19 Brazil: More than just a little flu -- Chapter 20 Norway: From strict measures to pragmatic flexibility -- Chapter 21 Iceland: No lockdown and experts at the forefront -- Chapter 22 Ireland: Solid swansong from caretaker government -- Chapter 23 The Czech Republic: Self-proclaimed role models -- Chapter 24 Hungary: Illiberal crisis management -- Chapter 25 Poland: Protecting the nation while struggling to maintain power -- Chapter 26 Ghana: Political expediency or competent leadership?.

"This edited collection compares and analyses the most prominent political communicative responses to the outbreak and global spread of the COVID-19 strain of coronavirus within 27 nations across five continents and two supranational organisations: the EU and the WHO. The book encompasses the various governments' communication of the crisis, the role played by opposition and the vibrancy of the information environment within each nation. The chapters analyse the communication drawing on theoretical perspectives drawn from the fields of crisis communication, political communication and political psychology. In doing so the book develops a framework to assess the extent to which state communication followed the key indicators of effective communication encapsulated in the principles of: being first; being right; being credible; expressing empathy; promoting action; and showing respect. The book also examines how communication circulated within the mass and social media environments and what impact differences in spokespersons, messages and the broader context has on the success of implementing measures likely to reduce the spread of the virus. Cumulatively, the authors develop a global analysis of the responses and how these are shaped by their specific contexts and by the flow of information, while offering lessons for future political crisis communication. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers of politics, communication and public relations, specifically on courses and modules relating to current affairs, crisis communication and strategic communication, as well as practitioners working in the field of health crisis communication"--

"This edited collection compares and analyses the most prominent political communicative responses to the outbreak and global spread of the COVID-19 strain of coronavirus within 27 nations across five continents and two supranational organisations: the EU and the WHO. The book encompasses the various governments' communication of the crisis, the role played by opposition and the vibrancy of the information environment within each nation. The chapters analyse the communication drawing on theoretical perspectives drawn from the fields of crisis communication, political communication and political psychology. In doing so the book develops a framework to assess the extent to which state communication followed the key indicators of effective communication encapsulated in the principles of: being first; being right; being credible; expressing empathy; promoting action; and showing respect. The book also examines how communication circulated within the mass and social media environments and what impact differences in spokespersons, messages and the broader context has on the success of implementing measures likely to reduce the spread of the virus. Cumulatively, the authors develop a global analysis of the responses and how these are shaped by their specific contexts and by the flow of information, while offering lessons for future political crisis communication. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers of politics, communication and public relations, specifically on courses and modules relating to current affairs, crisis communication and strategic communication, as well as practitioners working in the field of health crisis communication"--

"This edited collection compares and analyses the most prominent political communicative responses to the outbreak and global spread of the COVID-19 strain of coronavirus within 27 nations across five continents and two supranational organisations: the EU and the WHO. The book encompasses the various governments' communication of the crisis, the role played by opposition and the vibrancy of the information environment within each nation. The chapters analyse the communication drawing on theoretical perspectives drawn from the fields of crisis communication, political communication and political psychology. In doing so the book develops a framework to assess the extent to which state communication followed the key indicators of effective communication encapsulated in the principles of: being first; being right; being credible; expressing empathy; promoting action; and showing respect. The book also examines how communication circulated within the mass and social media environments and what impact differences in spokespersons, messages and the broader context has on the success of implementing measures likely to reduce the spread of the virus. Cumulatively, the authors develop a global analysis of the responses and how these are shaped by their specific contexts and by the flow of information, while offering lessons for future political crisis communication. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers of politics, communication and public relations, specifically on courses and modules relating to current affairs, crisis communication and strategic communication, as well as practitioners working in the field of health crisis communication"--

The reception of political communication is a highly important aspect of the process of politics. The way in which communication is received, how it is considered by the receiver, and with what impact, are key determinants of understanding how messages are acted upon, and so how support is gained for initiatives and how voter choices are influenced. This important study takes a psychological approach to exploring how audience members receive messages and what cognitive processes may take place. Cognition is explored drawing on theories from the field of communication psychology, applying them to the modern political environment using examples from a wide range of contexts, and a wide range of media, from television to Facebook. The book offers an in-depth and detailed theoretical framework and is the first work to position cognitive psychology at the heart of political communication and make it accessible to as wide an audience as possible