Crisis Communication and Coping Strategies during COVID-19 Pandemic : A Content Analysis of Coronavirus Cartoons and Comics (CCC)

With the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus pandemic that brought the world to a sudden deadlock, cartoonists across the world swung into action by reaching out to people and raising awareness about the virus while at the same time making the situation light and fun. They created coronavirus cartoons and comics which were a great way to de-stress the (di)stress already created by the virus. Although cartoons and comic strips have frequently been analysed in relation to concepts of power and resistance, a close study of cartoons and comic strips during the pandemic shows that they helped to take the minds of the people off the tensed atmosphere and also aided in awareness creation on the reality of the pandemic in a rather light-hearted way. Hence, this paper explored the role of these cartoons and comics on COVID-19 pandemic especially in crisis communication and coping strategies. Engaging the content analytical framework, the paper examined some purposively selected Nigerian online newspapers cartoons and webcomics on Coronavirus which have bearing on socio-economic, health, and political dynamics in the Nigerian society. The article examined the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people, and contended that these cartoon and comic strips served to enlighten the people as well as to cushion the psychological, moral and emotional effects of the pandemic on the populace during the difficult time