In:Remedies against the Pandemic: How politicians communicate crisis management
Edited by Nadine Thielemann and Daniel Weiss
[Discourse Approaches to Politics, Society and Culture 102] 2023
► pp. 75–101
Linguistic strategies to present complexity in a time of crisis
How European leaders discussed the Covid-19 pandemic
Published online: 24 July 2023
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.102.03cal
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.102.03cal
Abstract
During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, world leaders were expected to discuss complex notions with their constituents. In this paper, I analyze how four European leaders – Erna Solberg (Norway), Giuseppe Conte (Italy), Emmanuel Macron (Macron), Boris Johnson (UK) – broke down the complexity associated with Covid-19 measures. I look at 57 speeches given in the period of March 2020 – October 2020. Solberg chose to tackle complexity through oversimplification, for instance by overusing numbered lists and the intensifier mange (‘many’). Macron used self-directed questions to structure the discourse into more manageable units. Johnson made extensive use of signposting, slogans and catchphrases. No particular strategy was used by Conte to tackle complexity; this highlights the effect of increased time pressure in communicating a crisis.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 1.2Complex vs. Complicated
- 1.2.1Complicated Notions
- 1.2.2Complex Notions
- 1.2.3Focus and structure of this article
- 1.2Complex vs. Complicated
- 2.The dataset
- 3.Erna Solberg
- 4.Emmanuel Macron
- 5.Boris Johnson
- 6.Giuseppe Conte
- 7.Conclusions
Notes References
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