Messages of Responsibility and Care: A Discourse analysis of the Saudi Ministry of Health Daily Covid-19 Press Conferences

Abstract

This paper investigated Saudi Ministry of Health MOH speeches in their daily press conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic. It examined MOH speeches through a sociolinguistic perspective and employed discourse thematic analyses to find patterns and themes that emerged in MOH's daily speeches on COVID-19. More specifically, this paper targeted media conferences delivered by MOH spokesperson Mohammed Alabdulaali from March 2020 until May 2020 with 72 videos broadcasted on TV and social media. For methodology, it conducted a mixed method approach of quantitative and qualitative analyses but with a heavier emphasis on the latter. The thematic discourse analysis of MOH speeches in those conferences found 2 major themes; the emphasis on collective responsibility framed in a positive tone and a government responsibility framed in a caring strict tone. This study found that MOH's messages effectively educated people living in Saudi Arabia about COVID-19 and successfully managed the pandemic with minimal loss. In doing so, MOH stressed the logic of collective responsibility supported by agreed cultural beliefs and practices. MOH reinforced this with their responsibility as government representatives and have the role of care and authority. MOH's success in doing so was evident as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Saudi Arabia was significantly limited. The findings also proposed implications for the management of future pandemics.