Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.56550/d.4.2.3

PRAGMATICS OF AUTHORITY: DIRECTIVE SPEECH ACTS IN POLITICAL AND HEALTHCARE COVID-19 DISCOURSE

Zoran Pervan orcid.org/0000-0001-8415-8910 ; University of Mostar *
Ivana Grbavac ; University of Mostar
Ivana Zovko-Bošnjak orcid.org/0000-0002-9930-1203 ; University of Mostar

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic placed political leaders and healthcare experts at the center of crisis communication, requiring them to issue urgent instructions under conditions of uncertainty. This paper analyzes how authority was enacted through language, focusing on directive speech acts in political and scientific discourse in the United States and Croatia. Drawing on speech act theory, the study examines press conferences, official statements, and interviews to compare how politicians and scientists shaped public behavior through direct and indirect directives. Findings show that political leaders often preferred direct strategies, embedding directives in appeals to solidarity, unity, or political identity. Medical experts relied more on direct and explicit directives as well, framing them as scientific necessity. The study highlights the adaptability of directive speech acts as tools of authority in crisis contexts, demonstrating how they balance power and clarity.

Keywords

speech acts; directives; crisis communication; COVID-19; pragmatics; authority

Hrčak ID:

347647

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/347647

Publication date:

18.5.2026.

Article data in other languages: german

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