Dissecting Crisis Communication: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Leadership Strategies in Australia and New Zealand During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper presents a comparative and discursive analysis of crisis communication strategies by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing critical discourse analysis, the study examined official communications from the leaders from January 2020 to April 2022. Despite the shared global problem and cultural and geographical closeness of the two countries, this study highlights stark differences in their communication styles, and exposed power dynamics in societal inclusion or exclusion. The paper argues that variations in crisis communication, including politicization of the crisis, can be attributed to leadership style, political ideology, and personality traits. The research underscores the pivotal role of crisis communication in shaping public trust, a critical factor for effective pandemic mitigation and health campaigns.