The rhetoric of the Norwegian government and health authorities during the Covid-19 pandemic
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21696150 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maria Isaksson (0000-0001-6292-8224, BI Norwegian Business School), Mona Kristin Solvoll (0000-0001-8200-7692, BI Norwegian Business School) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 381-397 |
| Publication date | 2023-07-13 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Communication Management (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1363-254X • E-ISSN: 1478-0852 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/jcom-08-2022-0100 |
| OpenAlex | W4303980959 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 13 |
Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the identification and collaboration rhetoric of the Norwegian government and public health authorities during the pandemic. The aim is to show whether and how actors use strategies and themes of identification, and whether they build identification with their publics. Design/methodology/approach The study combines qualitative and quantitative methods. Six identification strategies were identified through manual text analysis of press statements; word counts of each strategy were registered electronically to access quantitative data of individual actors. Findings The three strategies reflecting values, the two strategies reflecting division and disagreement and the strategy reflecting change showed almost equal frequencies. The strategy of shaping community, serving the function of change, and the division strategy, demonstrating identification through dissociation, were the most frequent strategies. Politicians preferred the collaboration strategy, while health experts preferred the strategy of concern and recognition. Originality/value The six identification strategies extend the understanding of leadership crisis communication and contemporary rhetoric as community-building discourse aiming for speaker–audience collaboration. The study demonstrates that division and disagreement are equally essential components of crisis communication as values and change. When actors differ in choice of strategy, themes and publics, they may still come across as coordinated and unified in their calls for solidarity, collective efforts and common understanding
Originality · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Qualitative research · Rhetoric · Social science · Sociology · Solidarity · Disaster Management and Resilience · Law · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Rhetoric and Communication Studies
Sampling and Generalization
Public Health and Risk Communication During Covid-19—Enhancing Psychological Needs to Promote Sustainable Behavior Change
Pandemic leadership
The Covid-19 pandemic
Coping with Covid-19. Dugnad
Balancing Governance Capacity and Legitimacy
The rhetoric of identification and the study of organizational communication
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |