Italy has been one of the first Western countries to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of people affected by COVID-19 in Italy, at the time of this writing at the beginning of 2023, is 26.090.658, whereas 188.817 people died.2 News reports showed all around the world the consequences it produced in terms of pressure on the hospitals and medical staff, overwhelmed by the number of patients in severe conditions. Social habits changed in order to cope with the pandemic, therefore using masks and maintaining physical distance from others affected everyday life and social relationships. The lock- down as a preventive measure was perceived initially as an effective strategy by citizens,3 but it was progressively questioned by citizens and even politi- cians, polarizing public opinion. In this context (first months of the year 2020), overall, verified COVID-19-related information was often missing, while sci- entific evidence about the virus, as well as about the strategies to protect in- dividuals and communities, were scarce. While scientists were building their knowledge and studying the virus as it spread and severely hit several Italian areas, citizens were eager for information, to acquire guidelines to better react to the threat, and to build an understanding of the whole situation, which they needed to cope with such a tragic and unprecedented pandemic.
Managing Digital Strategic Communication during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Insights from the Italian Ministries and Governmental Institutions / Lovari, Alessandro; Comunello, Francesca; Massa, Alessandra; Ieracitano, Francesca; Marinelli, Alberto. - (2024), pp. 183-197. [10.4324/9781003327189-16].
Managing Digital Strategic Communication during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Insights from the Italian Ministries and Governmental Institutions
Francesca Comunello;Alessandra Massa;Francesca Ieracitano;Alberto Marinelli
2024
Abstract
Italy has been one of the first Western countries to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of people affected by COVID-19 in Italy, at the time of this writing at the beginning of 2023, is 26.090.658, whereas 188.817 people died.2 News reports showed all around the world the consequences it produced in terms of pressure on the hospitals and medical staff, overwhelmed by the number of patients in severe conditions. Social habits changed in order to cope with the pandemic, therefore using masks and maintaining physical distance from others affected everyday life and social relationships. The lock- down as a preventive measure was perceived initially as an effective strategy by citizens,3 but it was progressively questioned by citizens and even politi- cians, polarizing public opinion. In this context (first months of the year 2020), overall, verified COVID-19-related information was often missing, while sci- entific evidence about the virus, as well as about the strategies to protect in- dividuals and communities, were scarce. While scientists were building their knowledge and studying the virus as it spread and severely hit several Italian areas, citizens were eager for information, to acquire guidelines to better react to the threat, and to build an understanding of the whole situation, which they needed to cope with such a tragic and unprecedented pandemic.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.