The Presidency and COVID-19 Pandemic: An Examination of Selected Televised Speeches by Ghana's President Akufo-Addo.

Abstract

The President's bully pulpit offers enormous powers to shape public discourse, attitudes, and behavior. This research analyzed five COVID-19- related addresses by Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo against the backdrop of the framing theory. The research sought to determine how the President framed his response to the pandemic in his country and the framing devices employed in the speeches. Four major frames were unearthed in this study, namely: (a) empathy and trusted leadership, (b) appeals, promoting actions and self-efficacy, (c) religion, and (d) measures and policies. Given its theoretical base and application, this study offers some interpretative understanding and suggestions for presidential communication, particularly within the context of a national or global public health crisis. The findings also provide insights into the communicative strategy employed by the President of a leading African democracy while sending messages to his compatriots.