Abstract
The chapter presents an analysis of statements by leading Polish government members during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (March–October 2020). The government’s communication is assessed against fundamental characteristics of effective governmental crisis communication. Lack of clarity and consistency in communication, contradictory information, and unclear rules translated into a low level of credibility which in turn affected the government’s authority, and this contributed to the relaxation of people’s behavior in terms of safety. The government’s communication is analyzed in the broader political context (i.e., organization of presidential elections and anti-government protests) and juxtaposed with public opinion research, indicating that the government was fighting the crisis undemocratically, incompetently, and unfairly and used the crisis to push through their own agenda.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adamski, M. (2021, February 28). Sąd w Białymstoku: rządowe informacje o pandemii zrodziły ogromne obawy, wręcz przerażenie [The court in Białystok: Government information about the pandemic caused great fears, even consternation]. Rzeczpospolita. Sąd w Białymstoku: rządowe informacje o pandemii zrodziły ogromne obawy, wręcz przerażenie – rp.pl.
Aronson, E. (2011). The social animal. Worth Publishers.
Blumler. (2018). The crisis of public communication, 1995–2017. Javnost/The Public, 25(1–2), 83–92.
Bodalska, B. (2022). Polska: Koniec bezradnej Rady Medycznej przy premierze [Poland: End of the powerless medical council to the PM]. Euractive. Polska: Koniec bezradnej Rady Medycznej przy premierze – EURACTIV.pl.
Bożewicz, M. (2020). Stosunek do rządu w listopadzie, Komunikat z badań nr 152 [Attitude towards the government in November, Research Communiqué No. 152]. Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej [Public Opinion Research Center]. CBOS Foundation – strona główna.
Bursztyn, L., Rao, A., Roth Ch. P., & Yanagizawa-Drott, D. H. (2020). Misinformation during a pandemic. NBER Working Paper No. 27,417.
Celej, M. (2020, September 9). Właściciele sklepów mają dość konfliktów z klientami. Chcą jasnych przepisów [Store owners are fed up with conflicts with customers. They want clear rules]. TVN24. Koronawirus w Polsce. Apel o doprecyzowanie przepisów dotyczących nakazu zakrywania ust i nosa – TVN24.
CRC-JHU. (2022). Mortality analyses. Coronavirus Research Center, John Hopkins University. Mortality Analyses – Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center (jhu.edu).
Cybulska, A. (2020). Zaufanie do polityków w pierwszej połowie listopada. Komunikat z badań nr 149 [Trust in politicians in the first half of November, Research Communiqué No. 149], Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej [Public Opinion Research Center]. CBOS Foundation – strona główna.
Demagog. (2021). https://demagog.org.pl/osoba/mateusz-morawiecki/
Devine, D., Gaskell, J., Jennings, W., & Stoker, G. (2021). Trust and the coronavirus pandemic: What are the consequences of and for trust? An early review of the literature. Political Studies Review, 19(2), 274–285.
Doquin de Saint Preux, A., & Masid Blanco, O. (2021). The power of conceptual metaphors in the age of pandemic: The influence of the WAR and SPORT domains on emotions and thoughts. Language and Communication, 81, 37–47.
ECDC. (2022, February 11). European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. COVID-19 vaccine tracker. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (europa.eu).
Evanega, S., Lynas, M., Adams, J., & Smolenyak, K. (2020). Coronavirus misinformation: Quantifying sources and themes in the COVID-19 ‘Infodemic’. Alliance for Science, Cornell University.
Fletcher. (2020). Trust in the UK Government and news media COVID-19 information down, concerns over misinformation from government and politicians up.
Garland, R. (2021). Government communications and the crisis of trust. From political spin to post-truth. Palgrave Macmillan.
Garland, R., & Lilleker, D. (2022). From consensus to dissensus: The UK’s management of a pandemic in a divided nation. In P. Van Aelst & J. G. Blumler (Eds.), Political communication in the time of coronavirus. Routledge.
Gaweł, R. (2022). Rada Medyczna: Negowanie szczepień powinno kończyć się utratą stanowisk publicznych [Medical council: Denying vaccinations should result in the loss of public office]. RMF24. Rada Medyczna: Negowanie szczepień powinno kończyć się utratą stanowisk publicznych – RMF 24.
Grzebalska, & Madarova. (2021, December). The grand return of the troops: Militarization of COVID-19 and shifting military-society relations in Visegrad Article in Intersections. https://doi.org/10.17356/ieejsp.v7i3.784
Guzek, D., Mihelj, S., & Štetka, V. (2022). “I don’t vote because I don’t want to get infected”: Pandemic, polarization, and public trust during the 2020 presidential election in Poland. In P. V. Aelst & J. G. Blumler (Eds.), Political communication in the time of coronavirus. Routledge.
Holt, E. (2022, January 29). Polish government COVID-19 advisors resign. The Lancet, 399 (10,323).
Hyland-Wood, B., Gardner, J., Leask, J., & Ecker, U. K. H. (2021). Toward effective government communication strategies in the era of COVID-19. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8, 30. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00701-w
IFCN, International Fack-Checking Network – Oxford University. (2020, June 3). COVID Conversations, Gina Neff and Rasmus Nielsen on COVID misinformation and inequalities. COVID Conversations: Gina Neff & Rasmus Nielsen on COVID disinformation – YouTube.
Johnson, B. (2020, March 17). Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19). https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-17-march-2020
Kantar. (2020, July 1–8). Wpływ COVID-19 na społeczeństwo. Polska [The impact of COVID-19 on society. Poland]. More in Common.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live. University of Chicago Press.
Laucht, C., & Jackson, S. T. (2020). Soldiering a pandemic: The threat of militarized rhetoric in addressing COVID-19. History and Policy. Soldiering a pandemic: the threat of militarized rhetoric in addressing COVID-19|History and Policy. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
LTC Covid. (2020). Website managed and funded by the International Long-term Care Policy Network (ILPN) and Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://ltccovid.org/covid-19-and-the-long-term-care-system-in-poland/
Mach, Z. (2022). Right-wing populism, euroscepticism, and neo-traditionalism in Central and Eastern Europe. In J. Sondel-Cedarmas & F. Berti (Eds.), The right-wing critique of Europe. Nationalist, sovereignist and right-wing populist attitudes to the EU. Routledge.
Macron, E. (2020, March 16). Adresse aux Français. Youtube – Palais de l’Elysee. Adresse aux Français – 16 mars 2020 – YouTube.
Marczewski, P. (2020). Epidemia nieufności. Zaufanie społeczne w czasie kryzysu zdrowotnego [An epidemic of distrust. Social trust during the health crisis]. Fundacja Batorego [Batory Foundation], Warszawa. Epidemia-nieufnosci.pdf (batory.org.pl).
Mols, F., Bell, J., & Head, B. (2020). Bridging the research-policy gap: The importance of effective identity leadership and shared commitment. Evidence Policy, 16(1), 145–163.
Nowosielska, K. (2020). Ministerstwo zakazuje lekarzom… [The ministry prohibits doctors…]. Prawo. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://www.prawo.pl/zdrowie/zakaz-publicznego-wypowiadania-sie-lekarzy-na-temat-epidemi,499036.html
Nycz, M. (2020). Szumowski o koronawirusie: Myślę, że zachoruje 10-20 procent społeczeństwa [Szumowski on the Coronavirus: I Think 10-20 Percent of the Population Will Become Infected]. RMF24. Szumowski o koronawirusie: Myślę, że zachoruje 10-20 proc. społeczeństwa – RMF 24.
Onet. (2020). Koronawirus. Morawiecki tłumaczył się ze słów o “koronawirusie w odwrocie” [Coronavirus. Morawiecki excused himself for his words about “coronavirus in retreat”]. https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/koronawirus-morawiecki-tlumaczyl-sie-ze-slow-o-koronawirusie-w-odwrocie/xc48e0v
Oswick, C., Grant, D., & Oswick, R. (2020). Categories, crossroads, control, connectedness, continuity, and change: A metaphorical exploration of COVID-19. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, 56(3), 284–288.
Pęczak. (2020, June 27). To jest wojna! Dlaczego o wirusie mówimy militarnym językiem? [This is War! Why Do We Speak of the Virus in Military Language?] Polityka. To jest wojna! Dlaczego o wirusie mówimy militarnym językiem? – Polityka.pl.
Ricard, J., & Medeiros, J. (2020). Using misinformation as a political weapon: COVID-19 and Bolsonaro in Brazil. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review.
RMF. (2020). Łukasz Szumowski rezygnuje z mandatu poselskiego [Łukasz Szumowski resigns from his parliamentary seat]. RMF24. Łukasz Szumowski rezygnuje z mandatu poselskiego – RMF 24.
Rogulska, B. (2020). Ocena działań rządu w okresie epidemii, Komunikat z badań nr 55 [Assessment of Government Actions During the Epidemic, Research Communiqué No. 55], Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej [Public Opinion Research Center]. CBOS Foundation – strona główna.
Rohela, P., Bhan, A., Ravindranath, D., Bose, D. L., & Pathare, S. (2020). Must there be a “war” against coronavirus. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics.
Sabucedo, J. M., Alzate, M., & Hur, D. (2020). COVID-19 and the metaphor of war (COVID-19 y la metáfora de la guerra). International Journal of Social Psychology, 35(3), 618–624.
Schraff, D. (2021). Political trust during the COVID-19 pandemic: Rally around the flag or lockdown effects? European Journal of Political Research, 60(4), 1007–1017.
Sirotnikova, M. G., Inotai, E., Watson, N., & Ciobanu, C. (2020, October 15). Central Europe: From pandemic exemplar to pariah. Balkan Insight. https://balkaninsight.com/2020/10/15/central-europe-from-pandemic-exemplar-to-pariah/
Skarżyńska, K. (2020). Polityka i pandemia. Czas sprawdzania (testowania) i rozliczania władzy [Politics and the Pandemic. Time of checking (testing) and accounting for power]. Fundacja Batorego [Batory Foundation].
Sontag, S. (2002). Illness as metaphor & AIDS and its metaphors. Penguin Classics.
Stochaj, P. (2021, October 6). Coraz więcej Polaków ignoruje obowiązek noszenia maseczek [More and more poles ignore the obligation to wear masks]. Jedynka, Polskie Radio. Coraz więcej Polaków ignoruje obowiązek noszenia maseczek (polskieradio.pl).
Szpyrka. (2020, August 5). Andrzej Sośnierz: Straciliśmy kontrolę nad epidemią. Tylko udajemy [Andrzej Sośnierz: We Have Lost Control of the Epidemic. We Are Just Pretending]. Interia. https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/raporty/raport-koronawirus-chiny/aktualnosci/news-andrzej-sosnierz-stracilismy-kontrole-nad-epidemia-tylko-uda,nId,4652194
Tabak, P. (2021). Negatywny wydźwięk informacji i fake newsy jako jedne z największych zagrożeń w przekazach medialnych dotyczących pandemii COVID-19 [Negative overtone of information and fake news as one of the greatest threats in media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic]. Uniwersytet Jagielloński.
Tilles. (2020). Polish prosecutors seek charges against organisers of abortion protests for endangering public. Notes from Poland. Polish prosecutors seek charges against organisers of abortion protests for endangering public|Notes From Poland.
TVN24. (2020, October 31). Sprzedawcy kwiatów oburzeni decyzją rządu [Flower sellers outraged by the government’s decision]. Zamknięte cmentarze. Sprzedawcy zniczy i kwiatów: może pan Morawiecki da nam swoją wypłatę? – TVN24 Biznes.
Van Bavel, J. J., Baicker, K., Boggio, P. S., Capraro, V., Cichocka, A., Cikara, M., Crockett, M. J., Crum, A. J., Douglas, K. M., Druckman, J. N., & Drury, J. (2020). Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. Nature Human Behaviour, 4, 460–471.
Veneti, A., & Lilleker, D. G. (2022). Proposing a three-dimensional normative model for political communication. In D. Palau-Sampio, G. L. García, & L. Iannelli (Eds.), Contemporary politics, communication, and the impact on democracy (pp. 1–18). IGI Global.
Ward, A. (2020). World leaders who denied the coronavirus’s danger made us all less safe. Vox. Coronavirus: How Trump and other world leaders who denied the threat endangered us – Vox.
WHO. (2022a). Principle: Understandable. World Health Organization. Understandable (who.int).
WHO. (2022b). Tactics to apply to make your communications understandable. World Health Organization.
Williamson, K., Given, L. M., & Scifleet, P. (2018). Qualitative data analysis. In Research methods: Information, systems, and contexts (pp. 453–476). Elsevier.
Wprost. (2021, April 2). Morawiecki z życzeniami i refleksjami [Morawiecki with Wishes and Reflections]. Wprost. Wielkanoc 2021. Wystąpienie premiera przed świętami. Morawiecki o koronawirusie i błędach – Wprost.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Winiarska-Brodowska, M. (2022). COVID-19 and Government Communication in Poland. In: Maarek, P.J. (eds) Manufacturing Government Communication on Covid-19 . Springer Studies in Media and Political Communication. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09230-5_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09230-5_17
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-09229-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-09230-5
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)