State Communication Strategies in Crisis: From Traditional Communication to Digital Influence

Abstract

Political crises demand effective state communication strategies to manage perceptions, control narratives, and legitimize power. This article presents a scoping review of the literature, following the PRISMA-ScR extension and the SALSA (Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, Analysis) approach, and integrates critical theoretical perspectives (Foucault, Bourdieu, decolonial theory) to analyze how states employ discourses, digital tools, and symbolic frames during such situations. Twelve empirical and theoretical studies, published between 2006 and 2025 in various academic databases, were selected and their quality was assessed using SALSA criteria. The thematic synthesis identified three main axes: (1) polarizing or adaptive discourses, (2) narrative control through social media and artificial intelligence, and (3) legitimation based on myths, science, or selective transparency. A cross-cutting finding was the populist use of digital platforms to circumvent democratic controls. The results reveal a transition from traditional consensus-building tactics (2006–2015) to hybrid models of digital discourse engineering (2020–2025), with relevant implications for deliberative democracy. It is concluded that the effectiveness of government communication in crisis scenarios depends on its ability to generate consensus, modulate politicization, and adapt messages to the sociopolitical context. Finally, an integrative framework for future research is proposed.