The Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana: exploring the discourse strategies in president Nana Addo’s speeches
Abstract Communication during a crisis can affect crisis management and health outcomes. Only a few studies in Africa have examined political leaders’ speeches on Covid-19 pandemic preventive and restrictive lockdown measures. The purpose of this study is to examine the discourse strategies employed...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02253-1 |
| _version_ | 1827770689948483584 |
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| author | Abukari Kwame Veronika Makarova Fusheini Hudu Pammla M. Petrucka |
| author_facet | Abukari Kwame Veronika Makarova Fusheini Hudu Pammla M. Petrucka |
| author_sort | Abukari Kwame |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Communication during a crisis can affect crisis management and health outcomes. Only a few studies in Africa have examined political leaders’ speeches on Covid-19 pandemic preventive and restrictive lockdown measures. The purpose of this study is to examine the discourse strategies employed in President Nana Addo’s speeches delivered to Ghanaians on the measures taken to combat the coronavirus. The first ten speeches of Nana Addo since the inception of Covid-19 were selected, coded, and examined using content thematic analysis. The analysis of these speeches identified five main themes to capture the discourse strategies which President Nana Addo used. The strategies captured in the thematic analysis included framing Covid-19 as a war, encouraging nationalism and patriotism, showing appreciation and gratitude, threatening sanctions, and using religious values. These strategies were reinforced by using religious, moralizing, and national identity legitimation discourses to justify measures the government had put in place to minimize the impact of Covid-19 and improve healthcare response. Also, the historical, social, and political contexts of Ghana and elsewhere were invoked in Nana Addo’s speeches to legitimize the government’s response to Covid-19. In conclusion, we highlight the implications of these strategies on crisis communication and management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:43:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d3f13397dfa74845800a19b189f844a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:43:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-d3f13397dfa74845800a19b189f844a92023-11-05T12:10:45ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922023-11-0110111010.1057/s41599-023-02253-1The Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana: exploring the discourse strategies in president Nana Addo’s speechesAbukari Kwame0Veronika Makarova1Fusheini Hudu2Pammla M. Petrucka3College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of SaskatchewanDepartment of Linguistics, University of SaskatchewanSchool of Languages, University of GhanaCollege of Nursing, University of SaskatchewanAbstract Communication during a crisis can affect crisis management and health outcomes. Only a few studies in Africa have examined political leaders’ speeches on Covid-19 pandemic preventive and restrictive lockdown measures. The purpose of this study is to examine the discourse strategies employed in President Nana Addo’s speeches delivered to Ghanaians on the measures taken to combat the coronavirus. The first ten speeches of Nana Addo since the inception of Covid-19 were selected, coded, and examined using content thematic analysis. The analysis of these speeches identified five main themes to capture the discourse strategies which President Nana Addo used. The strategies captured in the thematic analysis included framing Covid-19 as a war, encouraging nationalism and patriotism, showing appreciation and gratitude, threatening sanctions, and using religious values. These strategies were reinforced by using religious, moralizing, and national identity legitimation discourses to justify measures the government had put in place to minimize the impact of Covid-19 and improve healthcare response. Also, the historical, social, and political contexts of Ghana and elsewhere were invoked in Nana Addo’s speeches to legitimize the government’s response to Covid-19. In conclusion, we highlight the implications of these strategies on crisis communication and management.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02253-1 |
| spellingShingle | Abukari Kwame Veronika Makarova Fusheini Hudu Pammla M. Petrucka The Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana: exploring the discourse strategies in president Nana Addo’s speeches Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | The Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana: exploring the discourse strategies in president Nana Addo’s speeches |
| title_full | The Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana: exploring the discourse strategies in president Nana Addo’s speeches |
| title_fullStr | The Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana: exploring the discourse strategies in president Nana Addo’s speeches |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana: exploring the discourse strategies in president Nana Addo’s speeches |
| title_short | The Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana: exploring the discourse strategies in president Nana Addo’s speeches |
| title_sort | covid 19 pandemic in ghana exploring the discourse strategies in president nana addo s speeches |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02253-1 |
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