ATT KOMMUNICERA I MOTVIND. En kvalitativ textanalys av SAS:s kommunikativa strategier och retoriska positionering i pressmeddelanden under den inledande fasen av Covid-19-pandemin

Abstract

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 represented a profound global crisis with significant implications for various sectors, including the aviation industry. As international borders closed and travel restrictions were enforced, airlines faced both operational and reputational challenges. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), as one of the region´s major carriers, found itself in a critical situation requiring not only organizational adaption but also crisis communication. This study investigates how SAS communicated through press releases during the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, limited to the period of March to April 2020. The aim of the thesis is to examine which communicative strategies SAS employed in its press releases, and how SAS positioned itself in the rhetorical arena during a period of heightened public attention and uncertainty. The analysis is grounded in theoretical frameworks, Framing Theory and the Rhetorical Arena Theory. Framing Theory and Rhetorical Arena Theory are two complementary frameworks that together provide a comprehensive understanding of crisis communication, taking into account content, actors and context. Framing Theory explains how communication shapes meaning by emphasizing certain elements over others, and the Rhetorical Arena Theory focuses on the dynamic interaction between multiple actors in a crisis, highlighting how context and competing voices influence communication. Using a qualitative text analysis, ten press releases published by SAS during the defined time period were analyzed. The study found that SAS consistently framed the pandemic as an external and uncontrollable crisis, portraying itself more as a victim than a responsible actor. In addition, SAS strategically emphasized its role as a socially responsible and essential actor. A notable rhetorical strategy was strategic silence, where SAS avoided commenting on sensitive issues such as onboard infection risks, and instead steered the narrative toward selected themes that reinforced legitimacy. This allowed the organization to control the narrative and focus public attention on its societal contributions. The study also found a development in language and tone during March and April. Early press releases were more formal and informative, while later press releases adopted a more emotionally charged and empathetic tone. This shift is interpreted as an effort to build trust and strengthen relationships during a prolonged crisis. Furthermore, the findings show that SAS actively engaged with other voices in the rhetorical arena, such as authorities, media, the market, employees and stakeholders. Both directly and indirectly, as part of a broader strategy to uphold public trust and credibility. Future studies should aim to study a recipient-oriented perspective, as emphasized in previous studies, to explore how communication was actually perceived and affected stakeholders. Another interesting direction would be to include an international perspective, comparing how similar organizations communicated under different national regulations during the same period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Future studies could also extend the time frame to examine a larger sample of press releases offering deeper insights into how crisis communication strategies evolved over time.