Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 brought challenges to Chinese government departments’ health protection and control. During this pandemic, Weibo, the representative of online media, provided a platform for netizens to express their opinion of this sudden public health crisis by interacting with others under the pandemic-themed posters’ tweets. Using figurative visual symbols as the main images, with the affirmation and encouragement of the government, shaped a collective cultural identity and inspired a sense of patriotism during the crisis. It makes the empathy effect maximize spread and maintains the image of the government as well. This article explores the symbiotic relationship between citizen-initiated poster works, governmental social media, and social discourse during COVID-19 as well as how the pandemic-themed posters can resonate emotionally with viewers and guide spontaneous participation in the design. The results play an important role in promoting the dissemination of posters, maintaining the national image, and giving people a sense of stability.