COVID-19 messages make emergency alerts just another text in the crowd on your home screen Elizabeth Ellcessor, University of Virginia June 9, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail Elizabeth Ellcessor, University of Virginia (THE CONVERSATION) On a spring day in 2020, residents of El Paso, Texas, saw their phones light up with a text message: “Avoid parks/family gatherings this Easter. Stay home, stay safe. Do it for your loved ones.” This message, sent via the federal Wireless Emergency Alert system, was one of many designed to deliver COVID-19-related guidance directly to people’s cellphones. COVID-19-related messages are a new use of this alert system. They indicate changing ideas about what constitutes an emergency and underscore the challenges of public messaging in a personalized media environment.