Communicating Stability in Nigeria’s Post Covid-19 Scenario
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Date
2023
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Publisher
Corpus Intellectual
Abstract
This year 2022 marks the 84th anniversary of the first
known reference to Harold D. Lasswell‟s Model of
Communication in 1940. In recognition of his
milestone, this paper revisits and applies Lasswell‟s
famous construct, “who, said what, in which channel,
to whom and with what effect” to the study of post
Covid-19 messages emanating from the Federal
Government through the media and explores such
roles that communication plays thus far in terms of
informing the nation‟s landscape on the practical
steps being taken to reassure citizens of stability which
ranges from life structure, credible and viable
workable strategies that are of mutual benefits. The
essence for the desirability of stability is to cushion the
effect on Covid-19 on the nation‟s landscape which
would also serve as a protective assurance against
any form of further future crisis situation and helps the
government to maintain connection with societal
reality, available social resources and citizen‟s
expectations. This is achieved by adopting a
Qualitative approach using Key Informant Interview
(KII) to generate data from sampled Communication,
Sociology, Economics and Political Science scholars,
as this was analysed thematically to ascertain who
should communicate what, in which channel, to
whom and with what effect, in Nigeria‟ spost Covid-
19 scenario. The sampling technique is purposive and
Key Informants were selected based on their wide
knowledge in the areas of Communication,
Sociology, Economics and Political Science discipline. Lasswell‟s model plays a significant role in how the Government is conveying stability messages in post Convid-19 era to the masses through the media and the effect this is having on them, as there is need to ascertain the level of assurance the citizens have and the implication of this study is that, the Government would be able to clearly identify what should be communicated to who in what channel and expected effect in forms of feedback in post future pandemics. The study suggests further research on the „why‟ dimension in the communication process in post emergency crisis situation such as Covid-19.