https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7366-9181
![Sample our Communication Studies journals, sign in here to start your access, 2013 & 2014 volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5927/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Information-Science2.jpg"})
Abstract
To what extent do public health crises create unity or polarise the public sphere? We investigate the development and dynamics of the public debate in Greece in light of Covid-19 to detect polarisation within the public sphere. We cover the first wave of the pandemic (March-May 2020), assessing reactions to government measures. In times of crises, the public looks for shortcuts in the media to assess the overabundance of information and digest the complexity of a crisis. Hence, people look at opinion leaders for guidance or to reinforce their own views. To assess the formation of the public debate and public responses we look at the cues the public receives via the media. Through a content analysis of editorial pieces in Greek newspapers we code references to government responses, the public response or the responsibility of fellow citizens, and the role of experts in providing professional advice to the government and guidance to society. The differential of positive and negative references reflects and determines a polarised debate that triggers public mobilisation and engagement with specific repertoires of action. The findings assist in understanding the adherence to government guidance by the public and the passive reception or contestation of measures.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to the editors and participants of the Special Issue workshop for their constructive reviews and comments. We are also thankful to Michelle Pace, to Kennet Lynggaard for his insights and to members of the Department of Politics at Surrey and the Globalisation and Europeanisation research group at Roskilde University for their additional comments. We also appreciated the critical lens by Charalambos Kasimis at the Agricultural University of Athens.
The authors have equal share in the production of this article which has organically evolved out of their collaboration.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
The authors have no conflict of interest and have not received funding to conduct this piece of research. This work is not considered elsewhere for publication, all regular disclaimers apply.
Notes
1 We do not include tabloid press as it mostly focuses on celebrity news and emotional journalism
2 https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Blog/Revisited-Media-Consumption-during-the-Coronavirus-Pandemic
6 There were six approved reasons: 1. Pharmacy/doctor; 2. Supermarket/groceries; 3. Banking; 4. Helping relatives in need; 5. Funerals/Ceremonies, or divorced parents visits; 6. Outdoor exercise/pet walking.
7 COVID-19 Greece: New measures for the safeguard of the labor market March 2020 (ey.com): https://www.ey.com/en_gr/tax/tax-alerts/covid-19-greece--new-measures-for-the-safeguard-of-the-labor-mar
8 Accoding to SimilarWeb data (www.similaweb.com), average monthly traffic in terms of visits is as follows for each newspaper website: kathimeni.gr, 8.4 million; ethnos.gr, 9 million; tanea.gr, 4.7 million; avgi.gr, 1 million.
9 Here the reference in Greek is “Ελληνάρας” used as a pejorative term augmenting the word “Greek” to describe Greeks embodying all negative behavioural and attitudinal stereotypes of the country’s citizens towards the state, laws, fellow citizens, other social groups etc., irrespective of ideological backgrounds, similar to “hillbillies” or “rednecks” in the American context.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Sevasti Chatzopoulou
Sevasti Chatzopoulou (corresponding author) is Associate Professor in International Bureaucratic Politics in the Department of Social Science and Business at Roskilde University, Denmark. Email: [email protected]
Theofanis Exadaktylos
Theofanis Exadaktylos is Reader in European Politics in the Department of Politics at University of Surrey, UK.