Unpad Studies Polarisation of 2019 Presidential Election Coverage on Television

doktor.komunikasi
doktor.komunikasi
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A research team from the Faculty of Communication Sciences at Padjadjaran University, consisting of Budi Utami, Deddy Mulyana, Eni Maryani, and Dadang Rahmat Hidayat, has just published a scientific article entitled “Polarisation in Reporting the 2019 Presidential Election Campaign on Indonesian Television” in the reputable international journal Cogent Social Sciences (Taylor & Francis).

This article analyses how Kompas TV broadcasted news about the 2019 presidential election campaign using covert propaganda techniques. Using a qualitative approach based on Creswell & Creswell’s (2018) six-stage analysis, this study examined 63 news items about the Joko Widodo–Ma’ruf Amin and Prabowo Subianto–Sandiaga Uno campaigns in the programme Rumah Pemilu.

Key Findings

  1. Dominance of positive language: The technique of glittering generalities was found in almost half (49.23%) of the campaign news items, emphasising the good image of the candidate without criticising their opponent.
  2. Closeness to the people: The technique of plain folks (26.15%) was often used to portray the candidate as a simple figure who was close to the community.
  3. Symbolic association: The technique of transfer (18.46%) was widely used, especially in reports on Jokowi in his capacity as President of the Republic of Indonesia.
  4. Careful labelling: Kompas TV rarely used negative techniques such as name calling or card stacking, demonstrating caution in maintaining an objective image even though propaganda was still present.

Academic and social significance

According to the research team, the results of this study are important for:

  • Improving the political literacy of the public, so that television viewers are more critical in consuming campaign news.
  • Contributing new perspectives to the study of political communication in Indonesia, particularly in relation to propaganda in media that is considered neutral.
  • Providing input for television editors in creating more transparent and balanced political content.

‘The mass media, including television, is not completely free from propaganda. Even media outlets that strive to be neutral still insert certain persuasion techniques. Viewers need to understand this so that they are not easily influenced,’ said lead researcher Budi Utami.

Open Access

This article can be read for free via the official Taylor & Francis link:

https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2449249

This publication also affirms the position of Padjadjaran University as one of the international research centres in the field of political communication, media, and contemporary democracy.

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Unpad Studies Polarisation of 2019 Presidential Election Coverage on Television

doktor.komunikasi
doktor.komunikasi
1 min read
Share this:

A research team from the Faculty of Communication Sciences at Padjadjaran University, consisting of Budi Utami, Deddy Mulyana, Eni Maryani, and Dadang Rahmat Hidayat, has just published a scientific article entitled “Polarisation in Reporting the 2019 Presidential Election Campaign on Indonesian Television” in the reputable international journal Cogent Social Sciences (Taylor & Francis).

This article analyses how Kompas TV broadcasted news about the 2019 presidential election campaign using covert propaganda techniques. Using a qualitative approach based on Creswell & Creswell’s (2018) six-stage analysis, this study examined 63 news items about the Joko Widodo–Ma’ruf Amin and Prabowo Subianto–Sandiaga Uno campaigns in the programme Rumah Pemilu.

Key Findings

  1. Dominance of positive language: The technique of glittering generalities was found in almost half (49.23%) of the campaign news items, emphasising the good image of the candidate without criticising their opponent.
  2. Closeness to the people: The technique of plain folks (26.15%) was often used to portray the candidate as a simple figure who was close to the community.
  3. Symbolic association: The technique of transfer (18.46%) was widely used, especially in reports on Jokowi in his capacity as President of the Republic of Indonesia.
  4. Careful labelling: Kompas TV rarely used negative techniques such as name calling or card stacking, demonstrating caution in maintaining an objective image even though propaganda was still present.

Academic and social significance

According to the research team, the results of this study are important for:

  • Improving the political literacy of the public, so that television viewers are more critical in consuming campaign news.
  • Contributing new perspectives to the study of political communication in Indonesia, particularly in relation to propaganda in media that is considered neutral.
  • Providing input for television editors in creating more transparent and balanced political content.

‘The mass media, including television, is not completely free from propaganda. Even media outlets that strive to be neutral still insert certain persuasion techniques. Viewers need to understand this so that they are not easily influenced,’ said lead researcher Budi Utami.

Open Access

This article can be read for free via the official Taylor & Francis link:

https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2449249

This publication also affirms the position of Padjadjaran University as one of the international research centres in the field of political communication, media, and contemporary democracy.

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