Governmental communication and emotions in the covid-19 crisis in Spain

Abstract

Introduction. The impact of the information on COVID-19 on the Spanish population is analysed to identify the effects and emotions related to the channels and sources of information consumption during the first phase of the pandemic, which coincided with the first days of the state of alarm. Methodology. To this end, a survey administered via the Internet (n=1823.) was distributed during the second and third weeks of confinement (from March 23 to April 8, 2020) to the entire elderly population resident in Spain and with access to the Internet. Results. Among the results obtained, it is worth noting that news about the pandemic generated different negative emotions during this period-sadness, anxiety, fear, confidence and anger-which varied depending on the channel of information consumption. Among the topics that were of most interest to those surveyed were data on the evolution of the pandemic, protective measures and forms of infection, while the most credible sources were organizations and official authorities, health personnel and the media. Conclusions. It is shown the importance of emotions-especially negative ones-in the population's perceptions in crisis contexts such as the Covid-19 in Spain. Specifically, Emotional Support is the second most valued and official message, empathy, the most outstanding feature of the information received. The Government's ability to "understand" and "put itself in the place of the citizenry" ahead of any other aspect is positively appreciated.