Crisis as Revelation and Opportunity: The Italian Press Storytelling of the COVID-19 Pandemic First Phase

In this paper, we analyse how the most read newspaper in Italy, Corriere della Sera, elaborated the storytelling of the COVID-19 outbreak. The study was carried out according to three research questions: how was Italian society represented at the beginning of the spread of the virus? Who were the main actors of the story, and what were their roles and responsibilities? Are there any transversal narratives that became predominant over time? For each research question, as prescribed by the Thematic Analysis methodological tradition, some themes have been developed to explain the insights emerged from the analysis of 650 articles. With this technique, it was possible to see how the storytelling of the crisis went through different stages, gradually transcending the mere chronicle of the healthcare emergency and decentring the virus as the main character. While the virus’ existence gradually became part of our taken for granted, the epidemic has been represented as a revelation of pre-existing and unsustainable social problems (such as the consistent weakening of the public welfare system), and eventually as an opportunity to solve them rebuilding from the rubble.