COVINFORM - Analysis: Communication and information
Creators: name: Adler, Viktoria
name: Bertel, Diotima
name: Ghersetti, Marina
name: Johannsson, Bengt
name: Foitik-Schmidt, Danka
name: Aspell, Niamh
name: Forino, Giuseppe
name: Dasha Ilic
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021

description: This deliverable is the third output of the COVINFORM project’s WP7, which focuses on inclusive COVID-19 communication for behaviour change and addressing misinformation. It builds on two previous reports, namely D7.1 Baseline report: Communication and information and D7.2 Research design: Communication and information. The present report assesses and critiques COVID-19 communication practices on key dimensions of impact. This deliverable contains seven research chapters, each focusing on a specific aspect of COVID-19 communication. The first two chapters analyse visual data of COVID-19 public health campaigns and COVID-19 memes using a content analysis. In more detail, the first chapter engages with government communication (strategies) and the second with a particular form of communication by residents, namely memes. The following five chapters focus on government communication and use D7.1. Baseline report: Communication and information as a base for analysing dimensions of impact of COVID-19 communication. These dimensions are: 1.) Good and bad practices in COVID-19 communication strategies, 2.) Communication to influence behaviour change, 3.) Digital communication and exclusion, 4.) Fighting malinformation, disinformation and misinformation, 5.) Representation and justice in media. In line with the objectives of WP7, the task on which this deliverable reports has focused on two main research questions: RQ1: How have different actors designed, delivered and evaluated inclusive COVID-19 communication for behaviour change and addressing misinformation? RQ2: What impact have COVID-19 communication strategies and practices had on individuals from the majority population and vulnerable groups? Answers to these questions can be found in the seven chapters, each shedding light on a different aspect. Regarding RQ1 we have found that information campaigns have, at least initially, been addressed to the general public, before more targeted campaigns were launched. While there are some efforts to design campaigns inclusively, we could still observe a focus on the (white) majority population. We have further identified good and bad practices of COVID-19 crisis communication. With regards to addressing mis- and disinformation, we have found that while all countries under research have implemented some measures, they differ substantially between countries. Regarding RQ2 we found that memes are a way to cope with the pandemic situation, particularly as a way to comment and critique measures, as well as the behaviour of members of society. Further, the shift towards digital communication, as described in chapter 6, as well as the pre-existing digital divide, increased digital inequalities. This shift towards digital communicating unveiled a need to improve policies and access to digital media. Finally, we found that the way media provide information about the crisis influences how members of the public make sense of the pandemic, including which groups are perceived as vulnerable. The analyses conducted for this deliverable unveiled some gaps that will be investigated further. These include, on the one hand, the effect of information campaigns and media representation on residents, particularly on groups defined as vulnerable. On the other hand, the impact of COVID-19 communication on behaviour change needs to be explored further as well as what is considered to be good communication from a resident perspective.