Paracrisis, Misinformation, and Clarification: How Government Public Relations Tackle Fake Official Letters
Article
This study examines how the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform managed a paracrisis triggered by misinformation on social media, specifically the spread of a fake official letter announcing the appointment of contract-based government employees as civil servants without proper assessment. It is the government ministry mandated to formulate and implement civil service policies, regulate recruitment and competency-based assessment, and oversee bureaucratic reform to ensure meritocracy and integrity within Indonesia’s public administration system. This research is built upon a post-positivist paradigm with a single case study descriptive approach, employing a qualitative research design through in-depth interviews with public relations officers of the Ministry and an analysis of its social media posts. Results show that the response to address the consequences of the fake official letter echoes the corrective strategy posited in Coombs’ misinformation paracrisis strategy. It is revealed that as authorities and budgets can affect misinformation paracrisis management, the knowledge of organizational products and policies will influence and accelerate the decision-making process to solve the crisis.
Indonesian Urban Homemakers and Female Online K-Drama Fandom: Exploring Collaborative Practices Based on Subculture Capital on Social Media
Article
The popularity of Korean dramas in Indonesia has sparked the formation of a dynamic fan subculture on social media platforms centered on Korean dramas. This study examines the collaborative practices of urban homemakers in the Republic of Indonesia in Korean drama fandom, explaining how their actions are shaped by their subcultural capital and facilitated by digital technology. In this study, the researchers used ethnography for the internet. The investigation focused on two online female fandom communities on Facebook and WhatsApp: Drama Mama and Mamak Ngedrakor. The research findings reveal that the online Korean drama fan subculture goes beyond mere fan interaction, developing into a realm where shared experiences of femininity and domestic life encourage collaborative practices inspired by a strong sense of sisterhood. In addition, this subculture emerges as a place of empowerment, utilizing the subcultural capital of its members, including social standing, educational attainment, skills with digital media, and experience as volunteer.
Dynamics of Online Firestorms and Cancel Culture: A Case Study of the Sock and Allah Controversy in Malaysia
Article
This paper examines the intersection of online firestorms and cancel culture, two phenomena that have become increasingly prominent in the digital age. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from media studies and sociology, it explores the causes, characteristics, and impacts of online firestorms within the context of cancel culture. Through a review of existing literature and relevant case studies, the paper seeks to deepen our understanding of how online discourse is shaped and mediated by digital platforms, and the implications of this discourse for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. Specifically, this study investigates the phenomenon of cancel culture through the lens of the KK Mart sock and Allah controversy. Focusing on Facebook discussions (n=5401) across three major news portals The Star, Sin Chew Daily and MalaysiaKini and the resulting online firestorm, this study analyses to uncover the dynamics of public outrage, the mechanisms of digital mobilization, and the broader implications for businesses and societal norms. The analysis of social media interactions offers insights into how digital platforms shape public discourse and the consequences of cancel culture in a multicultural society such as Malaysia.
Social Media Civic Activism During COVID-19: Content and Sentiment Analysis of Malaysia’s Food Bank Campaign
Article
Abstract
This paper examines the role of the Food Bank Campaign as civic activism during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on strategic communication through social media by Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia. Using content analysis of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts, along with interviews, the study explores how different communication strategies affected public engagement. In addition, sentiment analysis was conducted using the Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner (VADER) tool to assess the emotional tone of audience responses across platforms. Grounded in Framing Theory, PR Excellence Theory, and Strategic Communication Theory, the study highlights the importance of two-way communication in building lasting relationships with stakeholders. Findings show that engagement levels varied based on message content, visuals, and the parties involved, with grassroots communities and corporate partners playing key roles. However, gaps in responding to underprivileged communities’ inquiries were identified. The paper underscores the importance of interactive, two-way communication in fostering long-term relationships with stakeholders, offering practical insights for NGOs on how to effectively use social media for civic activism both during and after crises.
Abstrak
Artikel ini mengkaji peranan Kempen Food Bank sebagai satu bentuk aktivisme sivik semasa pandemik COVID-19, dengan memberi tumpuan kepada komunikasi strategik melalui media sosial oleh Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia. Dengan menggunakan analisis kandungan terhadap hantaran di Facebook, Instagram dan Twitter, serta temu bual, kajian ini meneliti bagaimana strategi komunikasi yang berbeza mempengaruhi penglibatan awam. Selain itu, analisis sentimen turut dijalankan menggunakan alat Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner (VADER) bagi menilai nada emosi respons khalayak merentas platform. Berpandukan Teori Pembingkaian, Teori Kecemerlangan Perhubungan Awam dan Teori Komunikasi Strategik, kajian ini menekankan kepentingan komunikasi dua hala dalam membina hubungan yang berterusan dengan pihak berkepentingan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa tahap penglibatan berbeza berdasarkan kandungan mesej, visual dan pihak yang terlibat, dengan komuniti akar umbi dan rakan korporat memainkan peranan penting. Walau bagaimanapun, jurang dalam memberikan respons terhadap pertanyaan komuniti kurang berkemampuan turut dikenal pasti. Artikel ini menegaskan kepentingan komunikasi dua hala yang interaktif dalam memupuk hubungan jangka panjang dengan pihak berkepentingan, di samping menawarkan panduan praktikal kepada NGO tentang cara menggunakan media sosial secara berkesan untuk aktivisme sivik, sama ada semasa mahupun selepas krisis.
Voltes V’s Legacy in Bilateral Relations Between Japan and the Philippines
Article
The Japanese animation Voltes V enjoys a huge following in the Philippines, so much so that the show has been used by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines as a means to invite online engagement. Using Mahiwo’s meta-nation state relations concept, this study looks at all posts published by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines on Facebook, and by former ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa on X (formerly Twitter) throughout his term regarding the animation show and its live-action Philippine television adaptation, Voltes V: Legacy. In doing so, this study establishes the production itself as valid junction and important interaction point between both countries.
Interrogating the scientific and ethical rigor of “kalye” surveys
Article
As our contribution to Plaridel’s 20th anniversary, our paper focuses on the UP College of Mass Communication’s media and information literacy agenda, specifically highlighting the literacy required when engaging with surveys as social media content. In particular, our attention has been drawn to election-related kalye surveys that surfaced as popular local YouTube content eight months prior to the conduct of the May 2022 Philippine general elections. Kalye surveys (from the Filipino word “kalye”, or street) refer to person-on-the-street interviews about respondents’ electoral preferences while being filmed for live streaming or eventual uploading.
Grounding our analytical framework on the principles of valid, reliable, and ethical social science research, our analysis of 49 videos uncovered how YouTube content creators have exploited the scientific practice of survey research for partisan purposes by disregarding scientific and ethical rigor as they claimed to present themselves with authenticity. We conclude with a call for vigilance against movements that exploit scientific practices in forwarding partisan agenda, noting that kalye surveys are a part of the growing ecosystem of political information disorder in the Philippines.
Slow fashion communication on social media: Educating consumers through rational content in Indonesia and Malaysia
Article
Amid the inadequate communication studies on slow fashion, this study examines slow fashion communication on social media, with a focus on a content analysis of two slow fashion Instagram accounts in Indonesia and Malaysia, namely @setali.indonesia and @klothcircularity. The data was collected from 1,029 posts containing slow fashion content from January 2020 to December 2022. The study found that communicating slow fashion on social media is predominantly through rational content conveying consumer education issues. The two accounts’ main objective is disseminating information and raising awareness about slow fashion lifestyles. The affordance of Instagram in connecting people through shared content in real-time can be a remarkable educational tool for sharing knowledge about slow fashion. The study’s results will contribute to media and sustainability communication studies, highlighting the role of social media content in communicating about sustainability.
Exploring a state college’s dialogic strategies and public engagement on Facebook
Article
Technological advances influence the way organizations communicate and build relations with the public. Previous studies have explored digital dialogic communication in different organizational contexts; however, there is a paucity of studies that focus on dialogic communication in public institutions. This current study extends the investigation of online relationship building by exploring how a state college uses Facebook to facilitate dialogic communication with stakeholders. Through quantitative content analysis and key informant interviews, a complete enumeration of Facebook posts from January to December 2020 examined the use of dialogic features within the Facebook profile as well as in-depth interviews with the directors, office heads, and stakeholders. Results showed that the state college used a variety of dialogic internet principles on Facebook. Yet, one-way strategies were still more commonly used. The principle of conservation of visitors and organizational engagement for creating an online dialogue enhances public engagement outcomes of users’ reactions, likes, shares, and comments. Moreover, findings from qualitative data demonstrate that a state college relied on social media more to disseminate information rather than a dialogic and interactive medium for governance.
