Framing of Indonesia's New Capital: Cultural Narratives in Online News Coverage
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54099/aijbs.v6i2.1927Keywords:
Cultural narratives, Developmentalism, Indonesia's new capital, Media framing, Online newsAbstract
Purpose – This study examines how Indonesian online news media frame the development of the new capital city, Nusantara, and embed cultural narratives, national identity, and political legitimacy within their coverage. Methodology – Using a qualitative framing analysis based on Pan and Kosicki's model, the study analyzes five purposively selected articles from DetikNews and DetikJatim published during the 2022 ceremonial inauguration. The analysis focuses on syntactic, script, thematic, and rhetorical structures. Findings – The coverage constructs Nusantara as a symbolic national project rather than a purely administrative or infrastructural policy. Four dominant frames emerge: nation-building, cultural symbolism, political legitimacy, and developmentalism. Rituals involving soil and water, the Kendi Nusantara, presidential leadership, and references to Majapahit connect capital relocation with territorial unity, historical continuity, and modernization. Conclusion – Online journalism transforms policy communication into culturally resonant narratives that shape public interpretations of national identity, authority, and development. Novelty – The study extends digital framing research by demonstrating how textual structures and symbolic storytelling jointly legitimize a large-scale development initiative, offering a conceptual explanation of how cultural meaning, political power, and developmental aspirations converge in online news discourse within Indonesia's digital sphere and contemporary state-led modernization agendas.
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