Analysis of sentiment in the European Central Bank’s social media activity during the Covid-19 pandemic and Ukraine War: A navigating crisis communication

Abstract

To assess and comprehend the communication strategy used by the European Central Bank (ECB) throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine, this study considers the crisis communication tactics of the ECB. The study analyzes 11,781 tweets from the ECB's official Twitter account using sentiment analysis to look at how the Bank interacts with the public and how it uses adaptive communication strategies in these trying times. This research innovatively employs the AFINN and NRC sentiment analysis methods to evaluate the ECB's crisis communication. NRC's use of a comprehensive lexicon for emotional identification complements the pre-computed sentiment ratings of AFINN. The ECB's use of positive, clear communication built public trust and underlines sentiment analysis's utility in strategic crisis communication. The study's detailed investigation offers insights for improving crisis communication plans for better public engagement and economic stability.