UNCERTAINTY AND INFORMATION SUPREMACY: THE ITALIAN SOCIAL ECOSYSTEM VIS-A-VIS THE PANDEMIC
Europe
Diplomacy
2020 – The global pandemic caused by the novel Covid-19 has seen Italy as one of the
worst-affected nations worldwide. The measures adopted by the government in
response to the health emergency had a profound impact on the country’s
political, social and economic scenario. This situation has grafted onto an
international arena which, regardless of the quantitative difference from
country to country, has been deeply affected, both from an economic and a
political point of view. This global crisis has left societies bare, witnessed the
United States withdrawing from its 50 years of global leadership, and questioned
the political and economic pillars which have been defining globalization for
decades.
However, as a global phenomenon, the pandemic has involved the whole
international community, which, after confronting the containment phase and
its widespread effects, is wondering about the future direction of the global
political balance.
A privileged yardstick for assessing the effectiveness of the Russian and Chinese
aid policy is analysing the perception of the Italian public, and within it, those
active in the ecosystem of online conversations.
The aim of this work is, precisely, to analyze how Italian users have reacted to
the actions of Russia and China and, consequently, to assess whether
humanitarian aid has managed, at least in terms of popular response, to obtain a
positive response in line with their foreign policy objectives.
