Abstract:

The aim of this article is to draw attention to the information pollution in the Covid-19 epidemic and to explain the three important actors (media, politics, public health experts) that cause disinformation and to reveal their effects on the public healthcrisis. In addition itis to reveal how the global health crisis –known as Covid-19 –affects our communication methods, to reveal the ways we communicate and to emphasize the centrality of communication. For this purpose, four main headings are discussed, namely crisis communication, public health communication, political communication and media communication, and media communication is divided into two subheadings as traditional media and digital media. The dominant view that emerged as a result of this article is that communication should be more central than ever, that emotion, empathic attitude, compassion and understanding are needed more than data. In addition, politicians should act jointly with medical experts, unanimously disclose new and up-to-date scientific information, and avoid statements that will cause uncertainty and distrust. It is also emphasized that it is vital for the media to communicate without politicizing the pandemic, prioritizing social interests over political interests. It is underlined that the digital media tools should be managed carefully, the circulation of false information should be prevented, and Industry 4.0 tools should be used for the sustainability of social distance in this period. The final result is to plan ahead in order to prevent this event, which is considered as a crisis, and to implement relaxing practices that will act as a vaccine until a vaccine is found, without wasting time.

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