Research

My Research

My research primarily focuses on trust in crisis communication, particularly examining how trust is expressed on social media during times of crisis. I explore the dynamics of social media communication, emphasizing the significance of text-as-data approaches to analyze user interactions and discourse.

Key areas of interest include: - Understanding trust expression on social media platforms. - Investigating the nature of social media discourse during crises. - Analyzing the public’s perception of communication by government entities.

Through these lenses, I aim to uncover how trust can be built or eroded in the context of crisis communication, particularly as it unfolds in the digital landscape.

Current Project: Communicating the COVID-19 Crisis

A Comparative Analysis of Crisis Communication by Governments and Heads of State

This project, led by Lore Hayek, Sarah C. Dingler, and Martin Senn, examines government press conferences on COVID-19 to analyze communication behavior during crises. The pandemic provided a unique opportunity to explore political crisis communication through the lens of government messaging.

For more information, visit the project website.

Project Objectives

We address two central questions: 1. Which strategies did governments and heads of state employ during the initial phase of the COVID-19 crisis? 2. What factors influenced these crisis communication strategies?

Project Realization

By analyzing live-streamed speeches and press conferences from January to summer 2020 across 17 OECD countries, we aim to uncover how often and on what topics leaders communicated. Our findings will offer new insights into the political dimensions of the COVID-19 crisis and enhance our understanding of crisis communication strategies.