Communicating and Managing the COVID-19 crisis in Italy and Japan: Perspectives from Critical Discourse Analysis and Crisis Communication

The use of rhetorical strategies and other linguistic devices in the context of institutional communication on COVID-19 has been the subject of attention by linguists and commentators worldwide. This study discusses the opportunity to integrate critical discourse analysis (CDA) with tools offered by crisis communication theory. In order to highlight the critical role of language in managing the crisis, this study presents a comparison between Italian and Japanese texts considered of primary importance for the initial phase of the COVID-19 crisis in the two countries. Although these countries adopted different approaches to deal with the emergency, the analysis shows that both Prime Ministers used similar linguistic devices in order to communicate and manage the crisis, which enabled them to reach their respective public governance goals.

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I discorsi analizzati

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PWfsNs0bDw

Oratore: Giuseppe Conte - Indipendente di area Movimento 5 Stelle (Governo Conte II).

Durata: 18:38 min.

Dichiarazioni alla stampa del Presidente del Consiglio (9 marzo 2020).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHumqc6zSJA

Oratore: Giuseppe Conte - Indipendente di area Movimento 5 Stelle (Governo Conte II).

Durata: 9:08 min.

Dichiarazioni alla stampa del Presidente del Consiglio (11 marzo 2020).

https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/98_abe/statement/2020/0407kaiken.html (giapponese)

https://japan.kantei.go.jp/98_abe/statement/202004/_00001.html (inglese)

Oratore: Shinzō Abe - Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (Terzo mandato di governo 2017-2020).

Durata: 1:07:10 min.

Conferenza stampa del primo ministro e dichiarazione stato di emergenza (7 aprile 2020).

https://warp.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/11547454/www.kantei.go.jp/jp/98_abe/statement/2020/0504kaiken.html (giapponese)

https://japan.kantei.go.jp/98_abe/statement/202005/_00001.html (inglese)

Oratore: Shinzō Abe - Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (Terzo mandato di governo 2017-2020).

Durata: 1:06:49 min.

Conferenza stampa del primo ministro riguardante il nuovo coronavirus (4 maggio 2020).