A new interesting project, funded by the Norwegian Research Council and landed by Øyvind Ihlen, has been launched recently: Pandemic Rhetoric: Risk Communication Strategies in a Changed Media Landscape (PAR).

The likelihood of a pandemic outbreak and the rapid changes in the media landscape create a social challenge. An increasing number of people get their news only through social media and institutional and epistemic trust are increasingly under negotiation.

The focus of the PAR-project is on meeting the urgent need to understand the rhetorical conditions and challenges for risk communication in this changed landscape, and to assist in formulating fitting channel and content strategies. A comparison across Norway, Sweden and Denmark will allow for a systematic analysis of the pressing problem, the audience, the rhetorical constraints and possibilities for the risk rhetoric. Stay tuned for updates coming later in spring!