Vaihtoehtoiset viestijät koronakriisissä – Unconventional Communicators in the Corona Crisis

This project investigates how information and stories related to COVID19 pandemic circulate and are framed in networks of alternative communicators. We examine how these alternative communicators, such as social media influencers and anonymous accounts, as a part of the social discourse, aim to either support or tear down the legitimacy and communication of official actors such as the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

We conceptualize the communication by unconventional communicators, such as social media influencers and anonymous accounts, as a societal discussion that aims to legitimize or delegitimize official communication by authorities and the media.

The project uses large social media datasets and studies them with digital research methods from both social sciences and language technology.

Project is funded by Helsingin Sanomat Foundation 2020-2022 and led by Dr.Soc.Sc. Salla-Maaria Laaksonen.