Unpacking Symmetrical Communication: Navigating Polarization During the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond

Aiming to address research gaps in symmetrical communication, a conceptual cornerstone for understanding reciprocal communication (i.e. the mutual, back-and-forth exchange between organizations and publics) and relationship management, this study adopts a publics-first perspective to examine how participants navigate polarized perceptions surrounding COVID-19. Drawing on 40 qualitative interviews, we identify two broad domains of strategies: depolarizing and non-polarizing. Depolarizing strategies include identity-focused (e.g. identity transcendence) and issue-focused (e.g. information source diversity) strategies. Non-polarizing strategies include distancing and avoiding, targeted education, and conservation. By centering publics’ interpersonal dynamics, the study reveals the microlevel cognitive and relational mechanisms through which symmetry is enacted in polarized contexts, which could serve as crucial foundations that enable public relations scholars and practitioners to conceptualize and engage in symmetrical engagement during polarized differences. This study advances theory by identifying multi-faceted dimensions of symmetry, adding nuances to the symmetry spectrum, and specifying actionable pathways for reconciling differences and bridging divides.