Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most severe public health crises of the 21st century. The pandemic has seen the healthcare industry cripple by scientific uncertainties, fake news, scarcity of evidence-based research, and time constraints. This crisis introduced various new experiences and situations, forcing the general public to find ways to adapt to these changes to protect themselves and their loved ones. However, many people find it more difficult to adapt because such crises do not occur often.
Consequently, many industries that experienced new developments in their markets were uncertain about how long these disruptions would last. The translation industry was equally affected – it was forced to implement measures to guide the dissemination of information to its target audience. Therefore, crisis translations during the COVID-19 pandemic, facilitated through social media, allow experts and non-experts to offer alternative views on critical issues and government policies.
Crisis Translation
Translation plays a critical role, especially during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue has gained attention among Translation Studies (TS) scholars. In the book “Translation and Social Media Communication in the Age of the Pandemic,” Ping (2022) focuses on various studies on translation and translators in crisis environments. The author introduced the concept of cascading disaster to illustrate how different people and countries received information about the pandemic.
Thomas et al. (2020) defined cascading disasters as “a series of events in which the results of one event lead to a great derangement of social and economic systems” (p. 120). This definition highlights the importance of maintaining a high level of efficiency and accuracy in translation (Leber & Abrahams, 2019). This explains why the definition of crisis translation has continuously evolved to ensure it meets the set standards of providing everyone with sufficient and accurate information.
The initial proposed definition of crisis translation was confined to language and culture. It was defined as “any form of linguistic and cultural transmission of messages that enable access to information during an emergency, regardless of the medium” (Federici et al., 2019, p. 247). The term was later expanded to consider language barriers in relation to “multidimensional cascading effects that widen existing vulnerabilities or engender new ones by means of miscommunication” (O’Brien & Federici, 2020, p. 131).
This definition aims to demonstrate that crises are multidimensional, characterized by cascading effects and impacts on existing vulnerabilities. For example, the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred in 2011, initially started as a mere earthquake but later evolved into a nuclear accident and subsequently into flooding (Suppasri et al., 2021). It is clear that crisis translation often happens during a crisis and, as such, is more urgent– it requires different platforms for dissemination.
Translation on Forums and Social Media
Social media is often cited as a double-edged source of health communication during a crisis. Llewellyn (2020) noted that different platforms, such as Facebook, can easily be weaponized to act as mediums for misinformation and undermine professional trust. On the other hand, social media platforms can be utilized as tools for public engagement and the dissemination of information. Piller et al. (2021), after observing how COVID-19 unfolded, underscored the importance of social media as an alternative means of spreading reliable information. Social media platforms are regarded as a means of informative dialogue, which explains why the concept of translation is no longer viewed as a linear process but as a dialogic one.
The online forums and social media platforms were particularly described as avenues of trust and distrust in public debate during a health crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. As explicated in Limaye et al.’s (2020) study, the numerous uncensored voices on social media can easily erode trust in expert voices and officials. This is the case because it is difficult to differentiate between individuals who are qualified to provide credible information and “armchair epidemiologists” (Limaye et al., 2020, p. 278).
On the contrary, Crawford 2019 maintained that social media provides citizens with a platform to speak up. They can provide an alternative point of view “to the felt lack of fit between experience and what we are offered by the official organs, and a corollary lack of trust in them” (Crawford, 2019, p. 92). In fact, citizens can occupy a rightful position alongside expert voices, provided they intend to promote accountability in the decision-making process.
The debate over whether the government was overreacting or underestimating the pandemic’s impact underscores the importance of social media in crisis communication. The debate, as explicated by O’Brien et al. (2022), primarily took place on talk shows and social media platforms. Some of the issues that dominated the debate included herd immunity. The flow of online information compelled the government to clarify in the mainstream what it meant by herd immunity.
In fact, the countervailing voices on social media compelled the government to implement several policy adjustments on the issue. These voices maintained that the government was not doing what it takes to prevent and ultimately stop the spread of the pandemic. Policymakers, accustomed to a one-way channel of dissemination, were confronted with a large amount of information originating from various platforms. It is clear that the government was compelled to adopt measures that align with the needs of the public – they eschewed a situation of adopting polices that would receive immense resistance from the citizens.
From Translations to Translators
The focus has increasingly been shifting from translations to translators themselves. As emphasized in Wang and Munday (2020), there has been a high interest “in translators themselves, their work environment and the relations between translators and other parties” (p. 234). Initially, much attention was extended exclusively to the work these translators produce. More specifically, the approach today is more sociological than textual and linguistic, as was previously the case.
Wang and Munday (2020) further note that scholars are more concerned with understanding the translators’ position in crisis translation. In other words, translators are themselves the center of focus (Wang & Munday, 2020, p. 335). Scholars are particularly interested in their position within social and cultural contexts and workplaces.
The same attention has been given to their individual psychology regarding their translations. Meister (2018) and Boukhaffa (2018) introduced a preliminary sociological approach to TS in their studies. The authors, in analyzing the TS map created by James Holmes, maintained that it failed to include any elements that acknowledge the contribution of translators. Boukhaffa (2018) further argues that narrative framing in translation deserves more attention in TS, as it plays a crucial role in the translation process.
The same views were echoed in Mizher’s (2020) article, where the author focused on the invisibility of the translator and the factors contributing to this state. These factors include “authorship and domestication of texts, as well as an underappreciation for translators’ work in the book industry” (p. 115). Mizher (2020) further notes that translators’ work is crucial in global situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, translators should be given a voice to ensure effective communication, especially on urgent issues.
Discussions on Translators’ Forums
Social media networks were considered the most suitable forum for communication between medical staff and patients. As explicated by Alonayq (2021), it allowed experiential and volunteer witnesses to act as citizen journalists in reporting their firsthand experience with the pandemic. For patients under isolation, the forums allowed them to talk to their families and friends through self-recorded video messages while in the ICU – some of these clips went viral.
For medical staff working as caregivers to critically ill patients, translators’ forums became a source of comfort. The clips shared on social media enabled them to mediate their emotional narrative about death and suffering. YouTube and Facebook saw several nurses and doctors become overnight celebrities – established influencers ended up promoting their content on their channels.
Social media platforms also acted as a source of mass appreciation. The users from different regions recorded and distributed spontaneous applause sessions as a way of appreciating the healthcare providers for their dedication. This style of discussion, facilitated by social media, became popular, which saw the public news channel introduce a new daily program titled “Frontberichten,” which meant messages from the front (Van Dijck & Alinejad, 2020). The program, which lasted fifteen minutes, featured various self-recorded clips of nurses, doctors, ambulance staff, and patients, primarily in the ICU. In doing so, the media copied a live streaming strategy popular on social media.
Examples of Translators’ Discussions
The first example of an influential translator discussion was witnessed in May 2020. It involved Maurice de Hond, a media celebrity and opinion poll strategist – “he launched a public dispute with the RIVM” (Van Dijck Alinejad, 2020, p. 57). He supported the idea of dismissing the government’s social distancing measures, as airborne transmission had been proven to be a mode of transmission for COVID-19. A group of non-medical scientists echoed his views during the second stage of the pandemic (Van Dijck Alinejad, 2020). They urged those WHO consider updating their guidelines on the transmission of COVID-19 between individuals based on their evidence of airborne spread.
Another group utilized social media platforms to question the government’s measures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus. The grassroots movement, famously known as ‘Viruswaanzin’ (‘Virus idiocy’), was led by Willem Engel (Van Dijck Alinejad, 2022). The movement aimed to “annul the government’s corona policy” – this was facilitated through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. After Engel’s video went viral, a total of 500,000 Dutch citizens signed a petition protesting the social distancing measures implemented in most public places (Van Dijck & Alinejad, 2022).
The protestors went a step further by taking their case to court. Although the court dismissed their claim that the government had no legitimate grounds for enforcing its one-and-a-half-meter policy, the common citizen was still able to dispute the scientific evidence. The government needed to base its policy on factors beyond scientific evidence. It is clear that the discussions between the two groups on social media were aimed at achieving transparency – the social media platforms were used as a source for checks and balances on government policies.
Non-Translator Professional Networks
The second wave of the pandemic led to the emergence of several non-translator professional networks, such as websites and YouTube channels controlled by influencers and public celebrities. These networks gave non-experts a voice to put forth their claims and, in the process, provided alternative scientific evidence. These claims formed the basis of discussions and debate in the news media.
In fact, scientists and policymakers were challenged to reconsider their approaches and strategies on various critical issues. Through these networks, non-expert voices managed to translate information and disseminate it to different target groups, thereby making the debate between officials and citizens more dialogic. It is essential to note that the criticisms of institutional expertise, particularly in the Netherlands, were not intended to erode the trust citizens have in them, but rather to enhance accountability and transparency.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic severely challenged the healthcare industry with scientific uncertainty, misinformation, limited evidence-based research, and strict time constraints. Crisis translation emerged to help manage these issues. Translators recognize that crises are complex and can cause widespread, cascading damage by exploiting existing vulnerabilities.
While most crisis translations are shared via online platforms—specifically social media—this channel presents a risk. Scholars describe social media as a “double-edged sword”: it empowers citizens to hold experts accountable, but the sheer volume of uncensored voices can simultaneously erode trust in official and expert guidance. Despite this drawback, crisis translations on social media during the pandemic allowed both experts and non-experts to offer alternative perspectives on critical issues and government policies.
References
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