Chapter 3. Public disagreements among health experts and their polarizing effects during a pandemic health crisis

Abstract

This paper focuses on the communication styles used by health experts when addressing the public about COVID-19, and the negative effects these styles had on the non-expert public’s ability to understand these issues and make well-informed decisions. Specifically, it examines the use of assertive styles within an Austin-inspired speech-act theoretical framework. By analyzing Twitter threads discussing COVID-19 following the first lockdown in Italy, I explore how these communication styles contribute to the polarization of non-experts, aligning them with different experts. In conclusion, I emphasize the importance for health experts to carefully select appropriate communication styles when engaging with the non-expert public to avoid undermining trust in scientific expertise, as observed during the COVID-19 crisis.