Mid Sweden University

This literature review describes research on risk and crisis communication to the public before and during war. Such communication may be similar to communication in the context of any other societal crisis, but the major difference is that in war there is an antagonistic actor that affects both physical and digital communication environments. In addition to the threat and destruction of critical communications infrastructure, the information landscape is characterised by high levels of disinformation and the digital environment is an extended battlefield. 

Russia's annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbass since 2014, as well as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, have changed the security situation in Europe. This has also left its mark on the recent research literature, where the Ukrainian experience largely characterises research on war-related communication. The research reveals a media landscape in which not only authorities, but also civil society and citizens are important actors. This represents a clear shift from previous mass communication, where the population was primarily the recipient and information was largely controlled by the military and the government. The Ukrainian experience also shows how social media platforms are used for many purposes: for strategic information about the course of the war, for mobilising resistance, for reporting and warning about air strikes, for searching for relatives, for reporting and documenting abuses and war crimes, and for identifying and informing about fake news and disinformation. Scholarly publications on the Ukrainian experience have focused primarily on digital environments, and there are gaps in knowledge about communication with specific groups that may not be reached through digital channels, such as the elderly and people with disabilities.

Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine has also affected preventive risk communication to the population in Sweden's neighbouring countries. In this literature review we therefore highlight and refer to examples from Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania. While the Baltic countries inform their respective citizens about war situations, the specific conditions that prevail during war and how the population can prepare for war, Finnish information on crisis preparedness is more general. There are also significant differences between the countries in terms of making the information accessible and adaptable for people with different disabilities, for children and in different languages.

In summary, we have identified several gaps in knowledge where more research is needed and where we believe there is experience from Ukraine that can be useful to the Swedish authorities. These include informal information and communication practices, especially in situations characterised by disruptions to key infrastructure and where it is important to reach different groups of the population with information. In addition, local populations and civil society can play an important role as disseminators of knowledge and as actors in communication and resistance, which also needs to be explored. This type of research could beneficially be conducted in collaboration with Ukrainian universities and research institutes.

The literature review concludes with four recommendations: the development of flexible and functional methods to reach a heterogeneous population; the development of accessible training on disinformation and digital security for a heterogeneous population; the development of information materials adapted and targeted to children and young people; and, finally, the development of information on evacuation and sheltering, whether the reason is a crisis or a war.