Dramatization of political identity: narrative construction and image building on local politics in Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines how local legislators construct narratives and images building their political identities on Instagram during their first year in office. This study addresses a pressing gap in political communication research, which has traditionally prioritized national-level actors while neglecting how local representatives in developing democracies navigate visibility, institutional expectations, and culturally embedded forms of self-presentation. Using theory-based qualitative content analysis, this study analyzed 25 Instagram accounts of members of the Makassar City Regional People’s Representative Council elected for the 2024–2029 term, covering the period from September 2024 to August 2025, with additional observations through December 2025. Referring to Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective, Hall’s theory of narrative construction, and political branding, this study finds that formal institutional appearances dominate the construction of digital identities, while personal content is selectively curated to project authenticity, familiarity, and closeness. Religious symbolism, Bugis-Makassar cultural narratives, and community values further shape these appearances. This study identifies two new patterns, namely double-layered narratives and staged humility, in addition to four identity typologies: The Performer, The Balanced Strategist, The Storyteller, and The Minimalist/Absent One. This study expands the field of digital political communication research beyond the national context by demonstrating how layered performances, cultural framing, curated authenticity, and strategic absence shape local political identities, thereby contributing a culturally grounded framework for analyzing legislators’ self-presentations in the digital realm.