Restorative rhetoric and ideological positioning in leadership discourse on global food security through social media crisis communication

Crisis communication plays a pivotal role in shaping public understanding, influencing behavior, and preserving institutional credibility during crises. In this digital era, social media has transformed how information is shared and how global communities participate in crisis narratives. This study integrates the Restorative Rhetoric Framework, the Dialogic Communication Model, and the Social Amplification of Risk Framework, with attention to the linguistic features embedded in leaders’ crisis messages, to examine how six leaders from international organizations governing global food security used Twitter (now known as X) between March 2020 and December 2022 to communicate on the food security crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examines how leaders used linguistic strategies to construct crisis narratives, foster public morale, and reinforce institutional legitimacy amid global uncertainty. Restorative rhetoric was used as both a strategic tool and a humanitarian approach, acknowledging public difficulties, extending support, and projecting hope. This dual function fostered trust and positioned leaders as authoritative yet empathetic actors in global food security discourse. Findings reveal that crisis communication was shaped through intentional language choices aimed at guiding public perception and maintaining organizational credibility. Findings from the ideological positioning analysis also indicate that institutional messages during crises were not always neutral. Dialogic communication showed inconsistent engagement, with exchanges largely one-directional and mutuality and commitment present but minimal, while propinquity was absent. The social amplification of risk analysis revealed that early crisis messaging employed risk-intensifying linguistic cues and emotive framing, elevating public concern, while later discourse shifted toward recovery and collective resilience. This shift represented a strategic recalibration of risk-related communication to sustain trust and reduce anxiety. The study concludes that effective digital crisis communication requires more than timely updates as it demands coherent rhetoric, emotionally attuned messaging, and ethical commitment to meaningful two-way interaction. This research offers theoretical insights and practical guidance for strengthening crisis communication strategies to support public reassurance and institutional credibility in future global crises.