Category Research project
  • Risikokommunikation

Deciphering the “pandemic spheres”: Government communication, (social) media discourses on and citizens’ responses to COVID-19 in Europe and the USA

Project status
In the closing process
Project start
Feb 2022
Project end
Jan 2025
Acronym
DECIPHER
Department
Risikokommunikation

Description and Objective

The main goal is to study citizens’ perspectives and perceptions on the COVID-19 pandemic as well as on their governments’ measures and communication. The research team uses a multidisciplinary approach to answer these questions, combining expertise and methods from communication science, psychology, and computer science. Innovative data science methods, such as machine learning and network analysis, are also used to identify, for example, influential networks and echo chambers in the social media in the context of the pandemic. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment uses qualitative interviews and representative surveys in seven countries to explore citizens' concerns, values and beliefs relating to the pandemic as well as to identify citizens’ informational needs and expectations regarding government crisis and risk communication. Building on this, conclusions will be drawn as to what extent citizens’ concerns were considered and recommendations on how to improve government communication in the future will be derived. In this way, the project will not only contribute to the scientific understanding of pandemics, but also allow conclusions to be drawn for better communication by authorities and the media in future crisis scenarios of this kind.
Type of project

Third-party funded project

Areas of research

Gesundheit von Mensch, Tier und Umwelt (One Health) / Internationale Zusammenarbeit

Organisational units and partners

Lead unit: Risikokommunikation (2)
Contact persons: Dr. Natalie Berger, Dr. Frederik Freudenstein
External partner: Technische Universität Ilmenau

Funding body and grant number

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft e.V.
BE 7574/1-1

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