"Actively modulating the crisis" – Team from the European University Viadrina analyzes the RKI's crisis management during the coronavirus pandemic

Whether a crisis is a crisis and how bad it is perceived is decided by a small number of communicators. With this basic thesis in mind, researchers at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) have examined the crisis communication of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) during the corona pandemic in a study now published in the renowned international Journal of Management Studies and created a process model of crisis modulation.
 

"We are living in a time of multiple crises. The climate crisis, the war in Ukraine and the so-called migration crisis are just three examples at an international level," says Dr. Lorenzo Skade, one of the authors. There are also long-lasting crises at national level: housing crisis, economic crisis, energy crisis. But crises are treated very differently. "When it comes to the climate crisis, we are very much in agreement that the consequences of inaction will be dramatic. Nevertheless, we currently perceive it as far less urgent than the looming economic recession", says Skade. "This cannot be explained solely by the change in the facts. Crises need pacemakers to model them in order to increase the perceived urgency in the population."

The most important pacemaker of the coronavirus crisis was the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). In order to understand how the institute modeled this crisis over two years, the Viadrina team led by Dr. Lorenzo Skade analyzed 45 hours of video footage from the RKI's press conferences, 371 of its situation reports and 645 external documents (mainly media coverage) from the first year of the crisis.

This showed that the RKI very consciously shaped the urgency of the crisis with its communication. "The RKI actively modulated the crisis. One example: When he came to the conclusion that the situation required it, RKI President Lothar Wieler tried to accelerate the crisis. He stood in front of the press every day and used very drastic words," Skade continues. "However, to prevent this effect from wearing off, he also gave the all-clear at the right moments and then did not communicate at all for weeks."
 

In total, the researchers identified three phases of crisis communication:

• In the "early phase", the RKI recognized the potential threat but did not yet convey any urgency. Instead, press conferences called on people to remain calm.
• In the "escalation phase", the RKI increasingly communicated the seriousness of the situation. Information was translated into concrete parameters (e.g. the "R value" and daily case numbers) and benchmarks to make the extent of the crisis clear. The RKI emphasized the need for immediate action ("Flatten the Curve") and strict measures.
• In the "pause phase", the RKI reduced the urgency. The situation appeared to be under control, and time-related information was translated in such a way that it signaled stability and control. The frequency of press conferences was reduced, but the public was still urged to maintain cooperation. 
  In addition, Skade's team identified three forms of urgency used by the RKI: So-called "windows of opportunity" were used to trigger rapid public and government responses when immediate action was deemed necessary. "Inceptive urgency" was again used to maintain efforts even when immediate threats appeared to be contained. And "Expired Urgency" was used to indicate missed opportunities to act. It served as a warning and reminded the population of the importance of timely responses when needed.

Source: Lorenzo Skade, Elisa Lehrer, Yanis Hamdali, Jochen Koch (2024). The Temporality of Crisis and the Crisis of Temporality: On the Construction and Modulation of Urgency During Prolonged Crises. Journal of Management Studies.