Who Gets to Speak When the Roof Is on Fire? Leadership in Political Crisis Communication

Abstract

The communication of political leaders towards voters has become increasingly important in modern democracies – even more so during crises. This article addresses the question of which factors influence the presence of heads of government during crisis communication? It assumes that the phase and the pace of a crisis are key influential factors and proposes that leaders are most present during the decision-making phase of a crisis and during moments of crisis escalation. To test these hypotheses, the article draws on a data set of 436 televised press conferences across nine countries during the early phase of COVID-19 The panel data analysis shows that leaders' presence increased in the decision-making phase but is not shaped by the severity of the crisis. This study thus contributes to the literature on political communication and crisis management by focussing on the involvement of political actors. These findings suggest that political leaders strategically choose when to communicate, with their decisions influenced by the phase of the crisis but not by its pace.