The Transformation of The Government's Digital Political Communication: A Study of The Relationship Between The Indonesian Communications Agency and Homeless Media

JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Digital communication, the dynamics of radicalization, and legal responses to the transformation of Muslim discourse and identity: A literature review

Background: This study aims to examine how digital communication practices contribute to radicalization, how criminal policy responses address this phenomenon, and what implications this has for discourse, identity, and the psychological well-being of Muslim communities. Methods: This study is a qualitative literature review. Secondary data in the form of books, journal articles, and policy documents were systematically collected and then analyzed qualitatively-descriptively through data reduction, thematic presentation, and argumentative synthesis. Findings: Analysis shows that the radicalization process is produced by a combination of three layers, including persuasive content and framing that supports claims of authenticity; micro social networks that provide validation of networked pathways; and the technical architecture of platforms that increases exposure. Criminal responses and platform regulation are effective only when repressive measures are complemented by algorithm transparency, take-down procedures that include due process, media literacy programs, and psychosocial support services. Cross-study qualitative evidence indicates a strong relationship between technical amplification and increased discourse homogeneity that facilitates the mobilization of extreme ideas. Conclusion: Preventing digital radicalization requires an integrated approach through criminal law that focuses on recruitment and glorification of violence, transparent technical governance, and community-based communication interventions to strengthen moderate identities and psychological well-being. These policies and measures need to be assessed through the lens of maqasid al-shari’ah to ensure they are proportional and sensitive to religious values. Novelty/Originality of this article: The novelty aspect refers to the new or innovative elements in a research study that distinguish it from previous work. It includes unique contributions, new methods, or findings that have not been explored before in the field.

CONSTRUCTING DEMAGOGIC LEADERSHIP THROUGH COMMUNICATION: MEDIA NARRATIVES AND THE RISE OF DONALD TRUMP *

Digital World as a Theatre of War: Political Performativity and Digital Strategies under Authoritarianism

This article examines how performative forms of digital communication contribute to the production and normalization of political reality under authoritarian and hybrid political conditions, with Georgia as the primary contextual frame. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s theories of productive power and governmentality, Erika Fischer-Lichte’s performance theory, and Branislav Jakovljević’s analysis of event, script, and actors in the theatre of war, the study combines conceptual analysis with in-depth interviews with seven experts in political science, cybersecurity, media and communication, international relations, human rights, social psychology, and performing arts. The thematic analysis identified six interconnected mechanisms: Performative Camouflage, perceived authenticity and trust formation, affective activation, audience co-production, algorithmic amplification, and normalization of political reality. The article introduces Performative Camouflage to describe the circulation of politically consequential meanings through communicative forms that may appear personal, professional, cultural, educational, protective, or otherwise not primarily political. The findings suggest that digital political influence emerges through recursive interactions among performers, audiences, platforms, affect, and unequal communicative resources rather than through isolated messages alone. The study distinguishes political function from unverified strategic intention or organizational coordination and emphasizes the ambivalence of digital participation, which can support both political control and democratic resistance. It proposes the Digital Theatre of War as an analytical model for examining these processes.

Media Framing of Indonesia's Capital Relocation: Political Legitimacy, Cultural Symbolism, and National Identity in Digital News Coverage

The relocation of Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan is not merely an administrative and infrastructural policy, but also a symbolic act of political communication. Online news media play a central role in translating this state-led project into public narratives that shape perceptions of legitimacy, cultural meaning, and national identity. This study examines how Indonesian online news media frame the capital relocation through three dimensions: political legitimacy, cultural symbolism, and national identity. Using a qualitative design, the study applies Pan and Kosicki’s framing analysis model, which examines news discourse through syntactic, script, thematic, and rhetorical structures. The data consist of five online news articles published by DetikNews and DetikJatim concerning symbolic events in the early phase of the Nusantara project, particularly the ritual of uniting soil and water from provinces across Indonesia in the Kendi Nusantara. The findings reveal three dominant frames. First, the political legitimacy frame emphasizes presidential leadership, governors’ participation, and coordinated state authority. Second, the cultural symbolism frame highlights ritual objects, cultural metaphors, and historical references such as Tanah Air, Kendi Nusantara, and Majapahit heritage. Third, the national identity frame presents the relocation as a collective national project that symbolically integrates diverse regions into a shared political imagination. These frames show how online news media transform a complex policy issue into a culturally resonant narrative of authority, unity, and national future-making. The study contributes to political communication and framing research by demonstrating how digital journalism legitimizes large-scale state projects through symbolic storytelling.

The Role of Public Relations in Shaping Political Communication in Nigeria: A Literature Review

Public relations (PR) plays an increasingly important role in shaping political communication within Nigeria’s ethnically diverse society and complex media environment. This literature review aims to examine the strategies, influence, and challenges of PR in Nigerian political communication, with particular attention to political campaigns, crisis communication, digital media, and public perception. The review draws on relevant literature and illustrative cases, including the 2023 general elections and the EndSARS movement, while applying the two-way symmetrical model and agenda-setting theory to interpret PR practices within Nigeria’s political discourse. The findings indicate that PR strategies can strengthen constituent engagement, shape public opinion, mobilize grassroots participation, influence voter behavior, and support political actors in managing crises. Digital media has further expanded the reach and immediacy of political communication, but it has also intensified misinformation, political polarization, ethical concerns, and declining public trust. The reviewed cases demonstrate that PR can facilitate democratic participation and collective action when applied transparently and responsibly, yet manipulative or misleading communication may undermine electoral integrity and democratic legitimacy. The study concludes that effective political PR in Nigeria requires stronger media relations, improved public media literacy, transparent crisis communication, and consistent adherence to professional ethical standards. These findings contribute to understanding the intersection of public relations and political communication and offer practical implications for PR practitioners, political actors, scholars, media institutions, and policymakers seeking to strengthen public trust and democratic communication in Nigeria.