representamen

Narrative Shift in Social Media News Reporting: A Case Study of Ferdy Sambo on Instagram

2026-02-19T03:37:25+00:00

The Ferdy Sambo case developed into a major institutional crisis in Indonesia, marked by inconsistent official statements, shifting chronologies, and growing public distrust toward the police. In the digital media environment, this crisis unfolded not only through the disclosure of new facts but also through ongoing transformations in narratives circulating within the online public sphere. This study examines how narrative shifts occurred in Instagram news coverage of the case by @narasinewsroom and analyzes the role of digital framing in shaping meaning during a legitimacy crisis. While previous framing studies tend to capture media representation at a single moment, this research highlights the temporal dynamics of narrative construction in social media-driven communication. It also emphasizes multimodal framing, integrating verbal, visual, and vocal elements, alongside the active role of audiences as prosumers in negotiating meaning. Using an interpretive qualitative approach, this study applies Gamson and Modigliani’s framing model combined with temporal narrative mapping. Nineteen posts were purposively selected from 182 Instagram uploads published between July 2022 and February 2023 to identify key narrative turning points. The findings reveal five phases of narrative shift: construction, disruption, exposure, escalation, and closure. The transition from the initial “shootout” narrative to the “murder plot” narrative indicates the erosion of institutional narrative authority. Multimodal framing devices and prosumer interactions play a crucial role in delegitimizing inconsistent official accounts and reinforcing alternative interpretations aligned with emerging evidence. This study demonstrates that narrative shift functions as an analytical indicator of institutional legitimacy crisis in digitally mediated communication and underscores the importance of coherent and transparent crisis communication in maintaining public trust in the digital era.

Analysis of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Based Marketing Communication Strategies in Driving Generation Z's Purchase Intention for Eco-Friendly Sea Pandan Leaf Woven Products: A Case Study of Paraakar Indonesia

2026-04-08T05:32:54+00:00

This study aims to analyze the application of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) strategies by Paraakar Indonesia in encouraging Generation Z's purchase intention towards eco-friendly sea pandan leaf woven products. The appropriate use of IMC on digital platforms, especially Instagram, is expected to increase the engagement of young audiences who are highly influenced by visual content and sustainability values. The method used is a descriptive case study by collecting data through observation of digital content from the @paraakar Instagram account and online documentation related to the brand. Data analysis techniques use content analysis and descriptive qualitative analysis to evaluate the quality of visual communication, message consistency, and interaction with the audience. The results of the study show that although Paraakar has integrated messages of sustainability and empowerment of local artisans, there are still shortcomings in terms of visual quality, interactivity, and consistency of the messages conveyed. This has resulted in low audience engagement and purchase intention among Generation Z. It is recommended that Paraakar strengthen its visual branding, increase the frequency of posts, and utilize interactive features to increase engagement and encourage purchasing decisions.

Keywords: Sea pandan leaf weaving, Generation Z, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), Paraakar, Purchase intention.

Analysis of Mercu Buana University Yogyakarta Customer Engagement Marketing through the Utilization of Real-time Interaction on TikTok and Instagram Live Streaming

2026-03-06T03:32:24+00:00

Competition in the private higher education sector and the shift in Generation Z's digital preferences demand innovative recruitment strategies that go beyond conventional social media. This study aims to analyze the marketing communication strategy of Mercu Buana University Yogyakarta (UMBY) through live streaming activities on TikTok and Instagram platforms using the Customer Engagement Theory framework. The research method used is a qualitative case study approach, involving in-depth interviews with policymakers, operational staff, and live streaming hosts, as well as participant observation over four months at UMBY Campus 3. The results show that the routine implementation of live streaming effectively activates the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social dimensions of the audience, with technology as a determining dimension that mediates these interactions. This synchronous interaction successfully reduces uncertainty for prospective students through real-time registration guidance. This strategy has a significant impact on increasing the number of registrants by 15% in the special wave of 2025. This research provides a theoretical contribution in the formulation of the "Algorithmic-Mediated Parasocial Intimacy" model that defines interpersonal relationships in the AI era through three pillars: Algorithmic Discovery, Technological Richness, and Human-Centered Intimacy. These findings confirm that the success of customer engagement in the digital era depends on a hybrid symbiosis between platform algorithms and communicator authenticity in creating intimacy that is systematically measured but authentically felt.

The Construction of Religous Discourse in Comic Digital

2026-03-02T05:18:59+00:00

The rapid development of digital technology has significantly influenced various aspects of human life, including the construction and dissemination of religious discourse. Digital media no longer function merely as channels of information, but also as spaces for meaning-making that shape how society understands religious values. One platform contributing to the construction of religious discourse in the digital sphere is LINE Webtoon. This study aims to analyze the representation of Islamic preaching (da’wah) messages in the slice-of-life Islamic-themed Webtoon KURMA using the semiotic approach of Roland Barthes, particularly his concept of two orders of signification (denotation and connotation). This research employs a qualitative descriptive method with semiotic analysis of selected scenes from the first episode of Webtoon KURMA. The findings reveal that the webtoon embeds Islamic values through the representation of everyday actions performed by its characters, such as caring for others, giving charity to those in need, sincerity in performing good deeds, and demonstrating social empathy. At the denotative level, these scenes depict ordinary acts of sharing and social interaction. However, at the connotative level, they convey religious meanings related to compassion, sincerity, and social solidarity rooted in Islamic teachings. At the level of myth, the webtoon constructs a cultural image of the ideal Muslim as generous, empathetic, and humanistic. Thus, Webtoon KURMA functions not only as entertainment media but also as a form of cultural da’wah in the digital era. Its light narrative style and visual storytelling enable Islamic values to be conveyed effectively without appearing doctrinal or didactic. This study highlights the strategic potential of digital comics as contextual and relevant media for communicating Islamic messages within contemporary digital society.

A Literature Review: The Media’s Ideology in the Construction of Discourse about West Papua

2026-02-25T08:14:11+00:00

The media is a source of information about the situation in West Papua for the public. Nevertheless, representations of West Papua in the media are fragmented, leading to a distorted public understanding of the region. This distortion, particularly among people outside West Papua, is caused by the Indonesian government’s dominance in the media. The Indonesian government’s dominance as authority creates unequal representation between the government’s narrative and the voices of Papuan, especially in the national media. This study aims to analyze the construction of discourse about West Papua in the media at three different levels of reach: local media, national media, and international media by literature review. This study found three different discourse patterns. The local media tended to prioritize a discourse of resistance that presented critical voices and highlighted Papuan identity in media texts. Meanwhile the national media was dominated by the discourse of national stability and sovereignty, which tended to be in line with the ideology of the Indonesian government. Last, the international media is more critical in highlighting human rights discourse. However, the media’s reach does not always determine the discourse in the media. Discourse on Papua in the media is also influenced by the media’s position in the social system and the ideology that surrounds it. However, over the past ten years, most research has focused solely on textual aspects and has not addressed the influence of ideology in media discourse. These findings indicate that there has been no significant progress in research on the relationship between ideology and media discourse regarding Papua. Therefore, new research is needed that integrates ideology with media, especially national online media, across various dimensions. This aims to reveal the power dynamics within media discourse.

Transformative Communication in Islamic Boarding Schools: Efforts to Cultivate Students' Motivation to Continue Their Studies at University

2026-02-27T07:22:45+00:00

Education is an important aspect of modern society because it is considered capable of increasing the level of modernity of a group. Education has significant potential in shaping a child’s attitudes and behavior, as well as in preparing individuals to assume future social roles. Furthermore, education is also needed to make people more religious and to equip them with the moral foundations required for social life. Therefore, this study aims to examine the process of transformative communication at Pondok Pesantren Al Chikmatul Mubalighoh Wa Tahfidzul Qur’an in encouraging students’ motivation to continue their studies to higher education. Using a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews, observation, and document analysis, this study finds that students’ aspirations for higher education are formed through a series of interconnected communication processes. Advice and guidance from the kyai and ustadz/ustadzah function as initial triggers that build students’ awareness of the importance of further education. Dialogical interactions in both learning activities and informal conversations strengthen students’ interpretations of higher education opportunities and shape the belief that higher education is accessible. The pesantren’s social capital—including trust, environmental support, and alumni networks—acts as a reinforcing factor that stabilizes this motivation. In addition, socialization from Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University provides concrete information about admission pathways and scholarships, thereby clarifying students’ educational choices. This study concludes that transformative communication in pesantren not only shapes religious understanding but also contributes to the formation of students’ educational orientation and social mobility.

Keywords: Transformative Communication, Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School), Higher Education Aspirations, Social Capital, Students’ Motivation.

Communication Accommodation Strategies in Service Businesses for Multicultural Customers in Building Customer Comfort: A Case Study of Terthecut Barbershop Yogyakarta

2026-03-09T09:34:39+00:00

This study aims to analyze communication accommodation strategies employed by barbers in fostering customer comfort within a multicultural service context. While Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) has been widely applied in formal communication settings, its application in interpersonal service interactions involving direct contact and cultural diversity remains underexplored. This study adopts a qualitative approach, utilizing in-depth interviews, literature review, and documentation. Informants were selected through purposive sampling, involving barbers from three branches of Terthecut Barbershop Yogyakarta (Demangan, Palagan, and Condong Catur) as well as customers from outside the region. The findings reveal that barbers employ accommodation strategies situationally through convergence, divergence, and particularly maintenance, based on a process of quick screening of customers’ characteristics, communication preferences, and emotional states. Maintenance strategies, such as the consistent use of Indonesian as a standard greeting and standardized service gestures, play a crucial role in maintaining interactional stability and professionalism in multicultural encounters. These findings suggest that communication accommodation in service settings operates as a dynamic and adaptive process, extending beyond identity alignment toward the management of interpersonal dynamics. This study contributes to the extension of CAT within service contexts and highlights the role of communication in shaping customers’ affective comfort.

Keywords: Communication accommodation theory, Multicultural customer, Customer comfort, Business services.

The Deconstruction of the Female Body in the Fiesta Condom Advertisement Commemorating World AIDS Day 2025

2026-03-02T04:20:47+00:00

This study analyzes the deconstruction of the female body in the 2025 World AIDS Day advertisement produced by Fiesta Condoms in Indonesia. Situated within a socio-cultural context where patriarchal norms continue to shape women’s vulnerability to HIV, particularly among housewives, this research examines how visual media negotiates gender, sexuality, and responsibility in sexual health campaigns. Employing a qualitative interpretive approach, the study integrates deconstruction as a critical framework (Saukko, 2003) with multimodal social semiotics (Kress and van Leeuwen) to analyze how meaning is constructed across visual, textual, and auditory modes. Through the analysis of representational, interactive, and compositional meanings, the study identifies a shift from the traditional objectification of women toward their construction as sexually assertive and agentic subjects who actively negotiate condom use. This shift appears to challenge dominant gender binaries such as passive/active and object/subject. However, a deconstructive reading reveals that such empowerment remains ambivalent, as female agency is simultaneously embedded within dominant beauty norms, heteronormative relationships, and market-oriented logics that regulate its expression. In particular, the study highlights the emergence of commodity feminism, in which empowerment is articulated through consumption. The representation of a young, modern, and financially independent female figure functions to reposition women as potential consumers of condoms, thereby expanding the market while subtly shifting responsibility for sexual health onto women. This study contributes to media and gender scholarship by demonstrating how advertising both disrupts and reproduces gendered power relations.

Keywords: deconstruction; female body; gender binary; multimodality; advertising

Intercultural Articulation and the Production of Symbolic Capital: The Cheng Yu Column in Indonesian Media Discourse

2026-04-08T05:28:36+00:00

This study examines how the Cheng Yu column in Harian Disway operates as an arena for the production of symbolic capital through the intercultural articulation of Chinese cultural values in representing Indonesian public figures. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic capital, intercultural communication theory, and Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, the research investigates both institutional strategy and discursive practice behind the column’s production. The analysis is based primarily on qualitative data obtained through an in-depth interview with the newspaper’s Chief Executive Officer, complemented by a close reading of selected column texts. The findings demonstrate that the column functions not merely as a cultural literacy feature but as a structured mechanism of symbolic production within the media field. By associating classical Chinese idioms (cheng yu) with contemporary political leaders, corporate figures, and cultural personalities, the column symbolically elevates these individuals through culturally loaded moral narratives. In this process, traditional Chinese philosophical values—such as wisdom, perseverance, and ethical leadership—are strategically mobilized to frame public figures within a discourse of virtue and prestige. Furthermore, the study finds that the symbolic capital generated through such intercultural representation is not purely cultural. It is convertible into relational and economic capital through strengthened networks, audience engagement, and brand differentiation in a competitive media market. The column thus illustrates how cultural knowledge can be strategically deployed as a resource in media institutions. By situating the Cheng Yu column within the broader dynamics of symbolic exchange, this study contributes to media and intercultural communication scholarship. It conceptualizes the media not only as a channel of information but also as a field of symbolic governance where cultural narratives, institutional interests, and market considerations intersect.

Keywords: symbolic capital; intercultural communication; Bourdieu

Participatory Cultural Digital Activities (A Virtual Ethnographic Study of Criticism Toward the Government Among Followers of the Instagram Account @jeromepolin)

2026-03-10T06:08:03+00:00

Social media has undergone a functional shift from a space primarily associated with entertainment to an arena of public discourse that enables citizens to participate in opinion formation and criticism of government policies. In August 2025, Jerome Polin, a young digital influencer widely known for sharing educational content, along with several other influencers, voiced criticism regarding emerging political issues, particularly the size of the Indonesian House of Representatives’ (DPR) budget, which was perceived as disproportionate to legislative performance and the economic conditions faced by the public. This criticism intensified as the public became increasingly aware of various budget allocations, allowances, and facilities granted to members of the DPR that were considered excessive, while at the same time the government encouraged budget efficiency and austerity measures among citizens. This study aims to analyze digital participatory cultural activities in the process of mobilizing criticism against the government among followers of the Instagram account @jeromepolin, specifically in relation to the issue of DPR allowances framed through the public demand narrative “17+8.” Employing a qualitative approach with a virtual ethnography method, the study focuses on observing digital interactions, analyzing uploaded content, and conducting online interviews with active followers of the account. The findings indicate that Jerome Polin’s posts functioned as catalysts for the formation of a participatory virtual public sphere. Audiences were not merely content consumers but also meaning producers through comments, discussions, reposts, and the redistribution of critical narratives. These practices reflect the core characteristics of participatory culture as conceptualized by Henry Jenkins, including low barriers to participation, support for collaboration, and social engagement in the production and circulation of discourse. The mobilization of criticism observed in this context was non-confrontational yet effective in increasing political awareness, particularly among younger generations, while simultaneously reducing apathy toward governmental issues. This study concludes that digital influencers such as Jerome Polin play a significant role in facilitating the cultural mobilization of criticism through participatory practices on social media. In this context, social media functions not only as a channel for individual expression but also as an informal space for political learning that contributes to the strengthening of civic participation and digital democracy in Indonesia.

Keywords: Participatory Culture, Influencer, Mobilization of Criticism, Instagram, Virtual Public Sphere

Implementation of Digital Public Relations at Senyum World Hotel Batu Tourism City in Building Brand Image on Instagram Social Media

2026-03-10T05:57:29+00:00

The development of digital technology has significantly transformed public relations practices, particularly within the hospitality industry. Social media has become a primary medium for building relationships, organizational image, and reputation through a Digital Public Relations approach. Instagram is one of the most widely used social media platforms due to its visual and interactive characteristics. This study aims to analyze the implementation of Digital Public Relations through Instagram at Senyum World Hotel Batu and to identify the challenges encountered in its execution. This research employs a qualitative approach using a case study method. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. The findings indicate that Senyum World Hotel Batu has implemented Digital Public Relations via Instagram by utilizing visual content, engaging with audiences, and leveraging Instagram features such as feeds, stories, reels, and hashtags. Digital PR activities are primarily focused on information dissemination, hotel image formation, and relationship building with the public. However, challenges in implementing digital public relations include limitations in human resources, the need for more comprehensive content planning, and maintaining content consistency. This study concludes that Instagram plays a crucial role as a Digital Public Relations medium in building a positive image and maintaining relationships with the public; nevertheless, more structured and sustainable management strategies are required.

Keywords: Digital Public Relations, Social Media, Hospitality Industry, Brand Image