200+ items of helpful COVID-19 information for communicators in 2020

The effects of the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic will last for years around the world. Communication professionals and organizational management need to understand the global and local impact of the virus. You can update and increase your understanding of all important aspects of a virus response so you know the best ways to communicate. By reading the article titles listed below, from 2020, and accessing the most relevant ones you will increase your wide understanding, including key management perspectives. You will also demonstrate to senior management your valuable role in the organization, because the crisis has proven the importance of good communication as a vital part of the decision-making process. A similar page of helpful COVID-19 information for communicators is available in this website, carrying links to articles published online in 2021.

To help with greater understanding by subscribers and other readers, I have developed an array of articles and their links, which are shown below. Much of the material has been written by experts or quotes experts about many aspects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. I’m sure we all are grateful to these authors and their organizations for their outstanding contribution in helping us respond in effective ways to this crisis.

Please note you may need to subscribe to the items marked ‘McKinsey’ (which are free) and ‘Harvard Business Review‘ (paid subscription, although HBR states “We’ve made our coronavirus coverage free for all readers.“).

(Above image: World Economic Forum)

Resources

Associated Press has compiled a Coronavirus Topical Guide, an alphabetical list of many COVID-19 related terms.
Chartered Institute of Public Relations of the UK has a mental health section in its website to help employers and individuals.
Drugwatch, a US consumer advocacy organization, has published a consumer’s guide to COVID-19, and a guide on how to deal with mental health issues such as anxiety in this time of extra stress caused by the pandemic.
Gallup’s COVID-19 data resources include a Coronavirus Pandemic Topics A to Z page – where you can find individual survey questions with full trends. Also, links to all of Gallup’s articles about the pandemic are available on this master list of COVID-19 news articles, sorted by topic.
Harvard Business Review publishes an “Insight Center” on the virus, as above, to help people who are “leading and working through a pandemic.”
Institute for Public Relations has published an “IPR COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Resource Center” web page, which has links to several vaccination research topics and other resources. Important reading for communicators.
McKinsey runs frequent updates on its COVID Response Center, which “draws on what McKinsey and others have learned to provide leaders with resources to help reset their organizations and communities.” You can subscribe to McKinsey’s free newsletter and information here or via any of their article pages.
MITSloan Management Review has a COVID-19 Resources page containing “expert insights and strategies for managers during the COVID-19 outbreak.”
Ragan posts a “Crisis Communications Daily” email newsletter containing the latest news, information and advice about responding to COVID-19. You can subscribe here at no cost. Inclusiveness: Also, Ragan has published an “Inclusive Language Toolkit,” which provides handy advice on What an inclusive language toolkit should cover.
The Frameworks Institute gives free, valuable guidance on the most effective ‘big picture’ messages to use when discussing COVID-19. For instance, framing the post-pandemic economy and talking about what comes next. The World Economic Forum publishes a regularly updated “COVID Action Platform,” which contains a lot of ‘macro’ information about the pandemic for organizations and business sectors globally. You can subscribe here at no cost. Above image: World Economic Forum ‘COVID Action Platform.
This is Home UK has produced ‘Working Out Our New Normal – Your COVID-19 communications resource.’ This page offers several downloadable ‘toolkits’ including an ‘Internal communications COVID-19 support toolkit.’ Some helpful info here.
Broadband Search has compiled a list of 16 internet learning resources for adults, which is a welcome source for online career-related information and learning during this time of the pandemic.