Arguments and framing strategies in Italian public discourse about measures to contrast the Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has been described as a creeping crisis, which is a kind of crisis that develops slowly, threatens common values, and is partially or insufficiently addressed by authorities. In order for an event to appear as a "creeping crisis" citizens have to agree that it threatens common and core values. Only when this happens, a response can be organized. This study reports on arguments and framing strategies used by policy makers in Italy to define the virus and thus justify the restrictive measures meant to stop it. Attempts to persuade the population to adopt restrictive measures during the pandemic relied on pragmatic argumentation, in which values such as 'life, 'health' and 'essential' played a significant role.