Strategic Communication in a Global Crisis: National and International Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic

This edited volume makes a unique and timely contribution by exploring in depth the topic of strategic communication and COVID-19 from a global perspective. It is widely agreed that effective and timely communication and leadership are crucial to the successful management of any pandemic. With the ongoing and possibly long-lasting impact COVID-19 has had on many aspects of communication and multiple sectors of our societies, it is critical to explore the role of strategic communication in change management during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. This book addresses such a need and is thoroughly grounded in rich empirical evidence gained through a global study of COVID-19 communication experiences and strategies.

In the second half of 2020, a transnational team of senior researchers conducted research to investigate COVID-19 communications (COM-COVID-19) in different countries, representing Europe, Africa, Latin America, North America, South America, and Asia. The results presented in this book provide a compelling, current picture of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategic communication globally. Chapters individually explore the national and regional experiences and discuss relevant successes and failures of pandemic communication and specific learning from the 2020-2021 crises. By emphasising the discussion on key communication channels, sources of information, facts and concerns as related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the editors call for actions to develop effective strategies within unique national contexts, which can shed light on global expectations on necessary public health responses and communication.

This book is written for scholars, educators and professionals in communication, public relations, strategic communication and corporate communication. It is also appropriate to use this book as a supplementary text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on relevant courses.

Ralph Tench is professor of Communication and director of research for Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University in the UK, and past president (2017-2020) of the European Public Relations Research and Education Association (EUPRERA). Professor Tench’s research involves national and international funded projects from the private sector, the EU, public health and research councils.

Juan Meng, PhD, is the Head of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia, USA. She serves on the national advisory board of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) ELEVATE. Her research specialisation includes public relations leadership, leadership development, women and leadership in PR, and global communication.

Ángeles Moreno, outgoing President of EUPRERA is a scholar at the high-performance Group of Advanced Studies on Communication (GEAC) at the University Rey Juan Carlos, with extensive experience and leadership on transnational and awarded research projects. She is included in a prominent position in the national ranking of researchers with about 27 books, 16 chapters and more than 55 academic journal papers.