Doing inspirational work’ in crisis communication: A positive discourse analysis of Akufo-Addo’s presidential addresses on COVID-19

This article analyzes the COVID-19 addresses delivered by Ghana’s former president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and argues that aspects of his crisis communication function as an uplifting discourse intended to boost the morale of Ghanaians, transform their mood, and invoke optimism across the country. The analysis identifies three motifs that contribute to this inspirational discourse: (1) stoicism and resilience, (2) hope and inspiration, and (3) patriotism and national unity. The findings reveal that Akufo-Addo capitalized on aspects of Ghana’s historical-cum-sociocultural context as well as linguistic resources like metaphor, lexicalization, and allusions to expound the identified motifs. The study illustrates why government communications during a national crisis must be situated within an appropriate sociocultural context to be impactful, and extends existing understandings of the way politicians can utilize discursive resources to perform key dimensions of leadership. It also illustrates the value of interdisciplinary discourse analysis in examining the social functions of language.