What's in a Name? Crisis Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Multilingual Indonesia

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Bibliographic Details
Title: What's in a Name? Crisis Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Multilingual Indonesia
Language: English
Authors: Zulfa Sakhiyya (ORCID 0000-0003-4183-977X), Girindra Putri Dewi Saraswati, Zuhrul Anam, Abdul Azis
Source: International Journal of Multilingualism. 2024 21(2):1169-1182.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Interpersonal Communication, COVID-19, Pandemics, Multilingualism, Language Usage, Barriers, Figurative Language, Public Speaking, Information Dissemination
Geographic Terms: Indonesia
DOI: 10.1080/14790718.2022.2127732
ISSN: 1479-0718
1747-7530
Abstract: This paper explores crisis communication during the pandemic in multilingual Indonesia. Crisis communication during the pandemic is a discursive act of sense-making in responding to the pandemic. As Asia's pandemic epicentre, Indonesia provides a fascinating setting to enhance the discussion between crisis communication and multilingualism because of its pandemic response and indigenous linguistic diversity and its tension with the national and international language. We employ critical discourse analysis in identifying the linguistic and discursive practices of crisis communication found in speeches and public statements made by relevant political leaders and policy documents. By using Fairclough's concepts of "word meaning," "wording," "re-wording," "over-wording," and "metaphor," we examine the changing mobility constraint terms and keywords in pandemic policies and speeches. Our findings on the inconsistent mobility constraint terms, confusing pandemic keywords and unempathetic metaphors used in public speeches have provided linguistic evidence of the ineffective pandemic response and crisis communication. The analysis draws attention to the importance of consistent and empathetic communication in crisis management.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1420324
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This paper explores crisis communication during the pandemic in multilingual Indonesia. Crisis communication during the pandemic is a discursive act of sense-making in responding to the pandemic. As Asia's pandemic epicentre, Indonesia provides a fascinating setting to enhance the discussion between crisis communication and multilingualism because of its pandemic response and indigenous linguistic diversity and its tension with the national and international language. We employ critical discourse analysis in identifying the linguistic and discursive practices of crisis communication found in speeches and public statements made by relevant political leaders and policy documents. By using Fairclough's concepts of "word meaning," "wording," "re-wording," "over-wording," and "metaphor," we examine the changing mobility constraint terms and keywords in pandemic policies and speeches. Our findings on the inconsistent mobility constraint terms, confusing pandemic keywords and unempathetic metaphors used in public speeches have provided linguistic evidence of the ineffective pandemic response and crisis communication. The analysis draws attention to the importance of consistent and empathetic communication in crisis management.
ISSN:1479-0718
1747-7530
DOI:10.1080/14790718.2022.2127732