The Communication Strategy of the University of Cape Town and the University of Tehran in Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the spread of the Coronavirus in Iran and almost simultaneously around the world, universities were forced to operate online and use distance education. The efficiency of universities in these critical situations depends to a large extent on their communication and media policies to advance their educational and research goals. To review the media and communication policy of the University of Tehran and the University of Cape Town, the content of their official websites from March 2020 to January 2021 was evaluated. This paper, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative content analysis, examined the content of these websites in connection with the Corona pandemic and evaluated their communication strategy in conveying their messages. Both universities have prioritized medical and emergency services which show the importance of students' and staff’s health for both universities but the social responsibility were more evident in Tehran University with its deeper commitment to its social missions. In terms of communication strategy, Cape Town University adopted a "supportive and egocentric" strategy to provide the necessary news and refrain from publishing the comments of audiences, and the University of Tehran took a "supportive and selective" strategy intending to provide the most news with selective comments.