Government communication strategy and its reflection on media construction of pandemic: A structured analysis of COVID-19 in India

Abstract

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 outbreak led to challenges in framing communication strategy on the part of the government among various stakeholders and especially to the common people. The government communication approach should focus on the meaningful participation of people in vulnerable conditions to achieve the best-possible result. The study examines various factors concerning the inclusivity in communication approaches adopted by the government and subsequent media coverage in India during this crisis. The complete nationwide lockdown tenure is selected for the study to recognize the communication strategy of the government and media in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Two mainstream Indian dailies—The Hindu & The Times of India—have been assessed to analyze the media construction of the pandemic, and 42 websites of central government ministries are also analyzed to frame the nature of governmental communication policy. The study reveals that governmental communication strategies were mainly instructional and confined to the macro level rather than the micro level. During this period, media narratives were mostly associated with governmental initiatives of crisis management. It established government as a powerful social actor while diminishing the voice of other concerned stakeholders in crisis management.