Information and communication resources are needed for individuals to cope with a public health emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic. These resources include interpersonal, organizational, and mediated communication, which collectively constitute a communication ecology. This interdisciplinary special issue of American Behavioral Scientist focuses on applications of a communication ecology perspective to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each article in this issue examines one or more specific aspect of COVID-19 communication ecologies to expand understanding of how a variety of communication resources can foster individual and collective coping with a global public health crisis. Insights from this issue can inform ongoing response to COVID-19 and planning for future public health crises.
Keywords: COVID-19; communication ecology; coping; crisis; public health emergency.
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