A study of Covid-19 crisis communication in Myanmar (January 2020-January 2021) : Divergences between ministry of health and sports and state counsellor

Abstract

Effective crisis communication is critical in a country like Myanmar, which has a vulnerable population and a newly democratically elected government. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Myanmar's government established multi communication channels to interact directly with its citizens and other actors, including government agencies, allowing for active stakeholder participation in crisis management. The purpose of this research is to identify the Myanmar government's crisis communication strategy in managing the COVID issue at the national level from January 2020 to January 2021. The study will take a three-stage approach to crisis management, with pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis stages. It also explored Myanmar's government's public relations activities and its communication efforts during the COVID-19 crisis (first wave and second wave). The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the Myanmar government to embrace or increase their use of digital platforms. The paper explores how, in reaction to the COVID infodemic, the Myanmar government used both traditional and new media—specifically, social media—to its advantage during the pandemic. Furthermore, the study identifies the strengths and weaknesses of Myanmar's crisis communication and management strategies, as well as the lessons learned and issues encountered in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. The study employs a qualitative case study methodology with an explanatory approach because the government crisis communication in Myanmar has never been thoroughly investigated. Study analysis is based on document research and primary data of artefacts (the communication avenues) that reflected government work during COVID. The paper evaluates the Myanmar government's policies and frameworks, as well as its crisis communication strategy and model, from the COVID-19 crisis to January 2021.