Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the corporate sector demonstrated a vested interest not only in ensuring business continuity but also in effectively communicating risks to shape behaviors and foster trust, despite the prevalence of infoxication among key stakeholders. This study examines the role of corporations as formal sources of information alongside traditional media outlets during a health crisis that, from a communication perspective, has been categorized as an infodemic within a rapidly evolving media ecosystem. Through semi-structured interviews and an in-depth analysis of sustainability reports from three energy companies in Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador, this research identifies the strategies, narratives, and communication tools employed to navigate the crisis. Findings indicate that, in their efforts to protect workers'health and enhance institutional reputation, these companies exhibited remarkable adaptability in leveraging various communication tools and channels to craft narratives that engendered trust among stakeholders. Despite high levels of uncertainty, the companies successfully structured an efficient media ecosystem to complement stakeholders'information consumption patterns. This perspective constitutes the study's primary contribution, as it highlights how, within the context of COVID-19, corporate discourse was strategically designed to build trust and encourage behavioral changes among employees and their families regarding preventive measures. In this regard, the corporate media ecosystem, through the deliberate construction oftrust narratives, emerges as a fundamental component ofstakeholders'communication frameworks and a crucial mechanism for counteracting misinformation, including infoxication.