Assignment- Media content Analysis -COVID 19

Communication

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a global health crisis
that has had a deep impact on the way we perceive our world and our everyday lives.
There is a popular English proverb that says “cometh the hour, cometh the man” – the idea
that the right leaders will come to the fore during times of crisis. For many leaders across the
world, “the hour” has now come again, with the Covid-19 outbreak threatening millions of
lives across the globe unless swift, concerted action is taken. There is no easy route through
the crisis. Besides the obvious problem of selecting the correct path to take, leaders also face
the monumental task of reassuring the public and persuading them to follow through on
government decisions. Measures such as social distancing – with its knock-on effect on
employment and commercial activities come at great personal, economic and social costs.

A leader’s response to a crisis is much more than speeches. Yet the

messaging may play a key role in obtaining the public’s trust and co-
operation. You will be required to take a look at and study one head of
state i.e. a nation leader’s current communication cycle for a stipulated
time and critically analyze their messaging strategy.

(Adapted from David Robson’s article for the BBC)

TASK
1. Take any one of the following countries’ Heads of State as your case study:
a. India – The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi
b. United States of America - The President, Mr. Donald Trump
c. Spain – The Prime Minister of Spain, Mr. Pedro Sanchez
d. Italy - The Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Giuseppe Conte
e. Germany – The German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
2. After you choose one of them as your case, think of all the media through which they
communicate. Are they more prominent through online channels or through electronic
media like radio and television?
a. Choose any one medium you think has been the most impactful for them
in the last 21 days (from March 12th onwards). Date from which you need
to choose – March 21st to April 2nd )
3. Trace their communication to important internal publics – the nation as a whole, and any
specific internal communities(if any) that needed specific attention at this time, over
those 3 weeks.
4. Give what would be snapshots of 3 key communications as ‘dated instances’ of most
important broadcasts, that they have made, through the medium you choose. (Please see
requirements and sample given below for illustration)
 a. Each of these examples you choose should be supported by a 2 line
explanation that justifies your choice.
b. These should all be on 1 medium.
Requirements:
1. Introduction: Your rationale for choice of particular medium and why do you
think it holds particular significance for the personality you are studying. Do you
think he has been impactful? (Refer to sample below for indicative example)
2. Instance 1 – Dated Snapshot/ Quote from medium with due citation. A 2 line
explanation to help understand your choice. (Refer to sample below for indicative
example)
3. Instance 2- Dated Snapshot/ Quote from medium with due citation. A 2 line
explanation to help understand your choice.
4. Instance 3- Dated Snapshot/ Quote from medium with due citation. A 2 line
explanation to help understand your choice.
5. In the wake of the recent crisis,

Format of Submission –
 Length – Maximum 2 pages ( if you have photos)
 Date of submission – 15th April EoD (Wednesday)
 Note :A little Effort is required, plagiarism in the form of direct copies from
another’s assignment will result in direct 0 = ZERO for both students.
 Name of Document -
CovidComm/<Rollno>/<Nameofcountryyouchoosetostudy>
 Submission – Deposit in shared folder for your section.
a. Link to shared folder wherein the assignments need to be uploaded.
1. Section A-
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cBy8Qjuds0_jR_vpIzNtZh4auPw91O
Ue?usp=sharing
2. Section B- https://drive.google.com/open?
id=1OB0teETEb7tLlWvYD2TBIa_iT1tB-N3K
3. Section C - https://drive.google.com/open?
id=1gL7brwqYh_YxGUywBcKMw5xuLuQD4qom
4. Section D -
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kOIRUD9LmamNxIBF6bGqftiZaaYTY-
Qw?usp=sharing
5. Section E - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rfGbD87-sm-
qSrNrGc_egrcLakMYMWRt?usp=sharing
6. Section F-
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ufzCnDeSKufYEbUYSBbIxZhhdGe
Vqwsn?usp=sharing
Refer to the example I give below from to understand what would be required of you.
This is a sample:

Case in Point – Head of State : Canadian Prime Minister : Mr. Justin Trudeau
Medium chosen – Facebook.
Rationale for Choice of medium : I saw that he is (personally) active on Twitter with his
own account, Facebook, through the official website of the Government of Canada, and has a
high visibility of television through various channels. He is active through --- too.
I chose Facebook because it has high reach and the content that is being posted by him at the
time of this crisis is mostly videos, supplemented with all relevant links. The language of
presentation is another deciding factor that drove my decision. His presence on Twitter is
pretty persuasive and strong, but I feel that the content he posts on Facebook are highly self-
explanatory and impactful. (I would need students to explain the points better if these are
points of consideration)

Snapshot 1 : March 27th

Source : Facebook post :Source https://www.facebook.com/JustinPJTrudeau/
(Note: I am giving only 1 sample here, you are required to give me 3!)

Justin Trudeau
27 March at 23:08 · 

Small business owners and entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy and
make our communities better places to live - but they’re facing difficult decisions
right now and are worried about the coming months.
To take some of the pressure off, we’re increasing the temporary wage subsidy up to
75% for qualifying businesses and backdating it to March 15. We’re launching the
Canada Emergency Business Account so banks can offer $40,000 loans guaranteed
by the government.
We’re providing $12.5 billion through Export Development Canada and the Business
Development Bank of Canada to help out small and medium-sized businesses. And
we’re deferring GST/HST payments until June.
For more details on the new measures announced today, and what they mean for
small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country, click here (Hyperlink below):
The Government of Canada is focused on helping Canadians and businesses through this tough
economic time. We will continue to protect the health and safety of Canadians, while supporting
families and businesses and keeping our economy strong in the face of uncertainty. The Prime
Minister, Justin Tru...

PM.GC.CA

Prime Minister announces support for small businesses facing impacts

of COVID-19

The Government of Canada is focused on helping Canadians and businesses through

this tough economic time. We will continue to protect the health and safety of
Canadians, while supporting families and businesses and keeping our economy
strong in the face of uncertainty. The Prime Minister, Justin Tru...

The Government of Canada is focused on helping Canadians and businesses through this tough
economic time. We will continue to protect the health and safety of Canadians, while supporting
families and businesses and keeping our economy strong in the face of uncertainty. The Prime
Minister, Justin Tru...

7.2K 7.2K

982 comments941 shares

Explanation: As all businesses in Canada see a serious drop in revenue, this may be what
CBC call “economic life-support” for small businesses. Small businesses will need more help
from the Government to survive the impact of COVID-19, but as Conservative small business
and export promotion critic James Cumming says “added questions remain about when
businesses can apply and when funds will flow.” We should perhaps wait for the next
broadcast in the same area from the respected Prime Minister, about the same.