Public Ethos in the Pandemic Rhetorical Situation: Strategies for Building Trust in Authorities’ Risk Communication

As illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, risk and crisis communication are crucial responsibilities of modern governments. Existing research on points to importance trust, both as a resource in an end goal communicative activities. In this paper, we argue that revisiting classical rhetorical concept ethos combination with situation can contribute fitting responses communication. The paper examines how appeals may build trust health authorities’ public during pandemic. Through interviews participant observation institutions handle pandemic Norway, finds understanding allows for better available means persuasion. For instance, through active transparency independence when faced uncertainty rapidly changing information.