Examining Legitimacy in Government Agencies’ Crisis Communication

Figures & data

Table

Questions:			Answers:
Basic theme:	Recurring features:	General topic:	Themes – Knowledge authority:	Themes – Structural accounts:	Recurring features:
Neutral questions: -Measures -Facts -Estimates, assessments, or prognoses Critical questions: -Measures -Facts, basis for a decision -Recommendations, restrictions -Swedish strategy	Comparison with other countries Referencing specific groups or locations Holding someone accountable Referencing current research Referencing other experts Openly addressing criticism	Number of people infected Spread of infection Death toll ICU statistics Testing Facemasks Vaccines Virus mutations Immunity Healthcare equipment Social distancing Risk groups Schools Travel Public health issues Personal integrity	Clarification of epidemiological knowledge Clarification of other facts Clarification of measures Clarification of the Swedish strategy Clarification of prognoses Describing the underlying rationality Referring to scientific uncertainty Referring to data quality Referring to broad public health issues Referring to the ongoing analysis	Referring to the agency’s mission Referring to other actors Referring to written policies Clarifying the division of responsibilities	Expressing an opinion or an evaluative statement Emphasizing individual responsibility Taking a defensive position Avoiding the question Avoiding ethical issues “I don’t know” Non-answer (nonsense)

Table

Dimension of legitimacy	Features of dimensions (topics addressed in Q&A sessions)
Cognitive	Formally-acknowledged roles Structural accounts of roles, mandates, and scope of responsibility General mission and the essential function of agencies Conceptual descriptions of the public health governance system Conceptual descriptions of the crisis management governance system General work procedures and tasks Legislative frameworks and policies References to social norms or cultural characteristics
Pragmatic	Epidemiological knowledge Facts and estimates Scientific uncertainty Data quality Measures and methods Practical consequences of response efforts Flaws/benefits of response measures Underlying rationales for measures, decisions, and strategy (pragmatic)
Moral	Weighing of societal values Societal welfare (what is best for society) Weighing of groups against groups Issues of fairness and discrimination Existential questions (life and death, right or wrong) The physical and psychological needs of victims Ethical standards for operating practices Underlying rationales for measures, decisions, and strategy (moral) Perceived outcome of the response (death toll, long-term consequences) Moral evaluation of aspects of the response such as activities, strategies, goals, organizational structure, and leadership

Data availability statement

The data that support thefindings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [MS], upon reasonable request.