Media Politics and Public Opinion Formation in the 2024 East Java Gubernatorial Election: Implications for Voter Behavior
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62710/8a8hht08Keywords:
Media Politics, Agenda-Setting, Framing, Public Opinion, Voter Behavior, East Java Election.Abstract
This study examines the role of media politics in shaping public opinion and voter behavior during the 2024 East Java Gubernatorial Election. In contemporary elections, media serves as a strategic arena where political actors construct narratives, influence public perceptions, and compete for voter attention. This research employs a qualitative descriptive approach using a literature study method. Data were collected from scholarly articles, books, official reports, and credible online media published during the election period, then analyzed through content analysis. The findings reveal that media significantly influences issue salience through agenda-setting, making topics such as regional development, public services, and governance performance dominant in public discourse. Framing practices also shape how voters interpret candidates’ competence, leadership, and credibility. Moreover, social media has become an essential platform for political communication by facilitating direct interaction between candidates and the public while simultaneously increasing information fragmentation and political polarization. The study further indicates that voter behavior is shaped by the interaction of media exposure, social environments, and individual interpretation. Although media does not directly determine voting decisions, it plays a crucial role in influencing cognitive evaluations and political preferences. Overall, the study concludes that media politics substantially contributes to public opinion formation and voter behavior in the 2024 East Java Gubernatorial Election through complex interactions with social and psychological factors.
Downloads
References
Ahmed, R. (2025). Media Framing & Elections : Analyzing the Print Media Framing & Its Impacts during 2018 Elections in Pakistan To cite this version : HAL Id : tel-04861145 par Riaz Ahmed Media Framing & Elections : Analyzing the Print Media Framing & Its Impacts during 2018 Elections in Pakistan Directrice de thèse : Madame la professeure Widad Mustafa El Hadi.
Alwi, A., & Ram, S. W. (2024). Community Typology and Voting Behavior in Elections : A Political Sociology Perspective. 25(2), 282–289.
Anshori, M., Pawito, P., Tri Kartono, D., & Hastjarjo, S. (2022). Comparative Framing: Media Strategy in Public Communication Policy. KnE Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v7i5.10545
Araba, B. A. (2023). Media Agenda-setting and Framing in the Construction of Public Discourse. 33–40.
Ariel, Y. (2025). Political Communication and the Hype Cycle : Tracing Its Evolution Across the Digital Era.
Arnold-forster, T., & Arnold-forster, T. (2023). Walter Lippmann and Public Opinion Walter Lippmann and Public Opinion. American Journalism, 40(1), 51–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/08821127.2022.2161665
Asfar, A. S., Ida, R., Sciences, P., Airlangga, U., Province, E. J., Airlangga, U., Province, E. J., Airlangga, U., & Province, E. J. (2025). The effect of social media usage on millennials ’ political knowledge and political participation in the presidential election in Indonesia : A structural equation modelling analysis Pengaruh penggunaan media sosial terhadap pengetahuan politik dan partisipasi politik generasi milenial dalam pemilihan presiden di Indonesia : Analisis structural equation modelling. 117–132.
Asrori, H., Artha, A. F., & Prestiawan, D. (2025). Wacana Kritis Perbandingan Tiga Kandidat dalam Debat Pemilihan Gubernur Jawa Timur 2024 : Analisis Korpus. 4(3), 502–522. https://doi.org/10.56113/takuana.v4i3.200
Barbera, P. (2019). Social Media , Echo Chambers , and Political Polarization Digital technologies and political echo chambers. 1–20.
Basu, C., & Schürmann, L. (2025). Media Effects on Political Elites. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035301447.vol2.00108
Baugut, P. (2022). From Interactions to the Mediatization of Politics. How the Relationships Between Journalists and Political Actors Explain Media Influences on Political Processes and the Presentation of Politics. Journalism Studies, 20, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2019.1598886
Borchers, N. S. (2025). How social media influencers support political parties in achieving campaign objectives, according to political communicators in Germany. Public Relations Review, 51(1), 102532. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2024.102532
BouNassif, M. A. (2026). Rethinking political brand preference: A common-sense self-regulation model approach. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 13, 102537. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.102537
Brader, T., & Marcus, G. (2013). Emotion and Political Psychology (pp. 890–922). https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199760107.001.0001
Bryant, J. (2008). Media Effects Advances in Theory and Research.
Budiana, M. (2022). USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION. 12(01), 18–24.
Cinelli, M., Morales, G., Galeazzi, A., Quattrociocchi, W., & Starnini, M. (2021). The echo chamber effect on social media. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118, e2023301118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023301118
Claes, H., & Boomgaarden, H. (2006). Media Message Flows and Interpersonal Communication. Communication Research, 33, 19–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650205283100
Coşgun, M. (2026). ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNS AND VOTER BEHAVIOR: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND AGENDA FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. Akademik Yaklaşımlar Dergisi, 17, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.54688/ayd.1760361
Daud, R. (2021). The Role of Political Communication in Shaping Public Opinion: A Comparative Analysis of Traditional and Digital Media. Journal of Public Representative and Society Provision, 1, 63–69. https://doi.org/10.55885/jprsp.v1i2.241
Defi, J. A. (2026). Effect of Social M edia ’ s Role in Public Political Opinion on 2024 General Election in Indonesia. 7(2), 403–422.
Entman, R. (1993). Framing: Toward Clarification of A Fractured Paradigm. The Journal of Communication, 43, 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x
Fadli, G. K., & Sardini, N. H. (2026). Minority Candidate Victory and Dynamics of Voter Behavior in the 2024 Semarang Mayoral Election. 09(01), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v9-i1-01
Fátima, B. Di, & Camilo, E. J. M. (2026). Beyond the Political Rallies : Digital Platforms as Alternative Media in Portuguese Electoral Campaigns.
Febryanti, D., & Adiwinata, S. (2026). Digital Media Utilization in Enhancing Political Participation Among Young Voters in the General Election. Politeia: Jurnal Ilmu Politik, 18, 42–48. https://doi.org/10.32734/politeia.v18i1.18755
Geise, S., Maubach, K., & Eli, A. B. (2025). Picture me in person : Personalization and emotionalization as political campaign strategies on social media in the German federal election period 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231224031
Hermawan, V. (2025). Political Communication in the Digital Era : The Role of Social Media in Shaping Public Opinion in the 2024 Election. 4(05), 160–169. https://doi.org/10.58471/esaprom.v4i05
Hidayanto, A. N., Fitriani, H., Khairunnisa, A. A., Aurelya, K., Kusumo, M. D., & Steven. (2025). Political parasocial relationships on social media: The role of user experiences and emotions in shaping eWOM and voting intention. Telematics and Informatics Reports, 20, 100273. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teler.2025.100273
Hm, P., Elviria, S., Supriyanto, S., & Lestari, L. (2026). The Dynamics of Policy Communication and Electability : A Case Study of M . Syukur in the 2024 Merangin Regional Elections. 10(148), 202–223. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v10n1.p202-223
Indriyanti, A. D., Gernowo, R., Sediyono, E., & Ali, M. (2025). Detecting Public Issues in the 2024 East Java Gubernatorial Election through LDA Topic Modeling on Social Media X Detección De Problemas Públicos En Las Elecciones A Gobernador De Java Oriental De 2024 Mediante El Modelado De Temas De LDA En Redes Sociales X. https://doi.org/10.56294/dm20251140
Karim, Z. P. (2025). Electoral Authoritarianism in Indonesia : The Legal and Political Machinery Behind Indonesia ’ s 2024 Election. July, 53–79. https://doi.org/10.19184/ijls.v6i1.52793
Khamdan, M., & Fata, A. K. (2025). Social Media and Political Mobilization in General Elections in Indonesia. X.
Khan, A., & Khanum, N. (2026). Media influence on public opinion during the 2024 general elections in underrepresented and politically volatile regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 13, 102873. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.102873
Koivula, A., Marttila, E., & Koiranen, I. (2024). Media framing and trust: A randomized survey experiment on attitudes towards the unvaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 10, 101157. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101157
Ladopurap, N. S. (2025). SOCIAL MEDIA AND ISSUE FRAMING : HOW POLITICAL CAMPAIGN TOOL IN THE 2024. April, 97–118.
Lau, R., Kleinberg, M., & Ditonto, T. (2022). Measuring Voter Decision Strategies in Political Behavior and Public Opinion Research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 82. https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfy004
Liao, C.-H. (2023). Exploring the Influence of Public Perception of Mass Media Usage and Attitudes towards Mass Media News on Altruistic Behavior. Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 13(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13080621
Mccombs, M. (2011). The Agenda-Setting Role of the Mass Media in the Shaping of Public Opinion.
Miguel, P., Bautista, F., Hilbert, M., & Shen, C. (2024). Emotions as Causes and Effects of Online Information Sharing: Multi-Method Causal Analyses Using Computational and Experimental Techniques.
Milli, S., Carroll, M., Wang, Y., Pandey, S., Zhao, S., & Dragan, A. (2025). Engagement, user satisfaction, and the amplification of divisive content on social media. PNAS Nexus, 4. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf062
Mugil, H., & Kenzie, F. (2025). The Shift from Traditional to New Media: How Media Evolution Shapes Audience Engagement. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12576.49921
Mukti, I. (2024). SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MASS MEDIA ON VOTER PREFERENCES IN THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION In the current digital era , mass media has a very significant role in shaping social construction in society , especially in the context of elections . Mass media not onl. 37–45.
Nasywa, D. (2025). The Influence of Media Framing on the Level of Public Trust in Government Institutions. 5(1), 21–30.
Park, S., Fisher, C., Flew, T., Dulleck, U., & Ayodeji, K. (2026). Impact of Online Misinformation on Public Trust in News Media.
Patria, R. L. (2026). Algorithmic Self-Presentation and Political Performativity in the Social Media Era.
Pawane, A. R. (2025). The Role of Social Media as a Medium of Democracy in Indonesia. 4(June), 43–54.
Priscilla, M., Afdhalu, M., Yulia, D., & Amrullah, M. H. (2025). Agenda-Setting Theory in Mass Communication : The Influence of Media on Issue Prioritization in Society. 1(1), 1–11.
Rachimoellah, M. (2024). Digital Activism and Political Change : Challenges of Social Media ’ s Impact on Political Development DIGITAL ACTIVISM AND POLITICAL CHANGE : CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ’ S IMPACT ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. 11(2). https://doi.org/10.7454/meis.v11i2.177
Riau, M., Riau, M., Amin, S., Islam, U., Sultan, N., & Riau, S. K. (2026). Modeling the Roles of Candidates , Political Parties , and the Election Commission in Low Voter Turnout : A Qualitative Case Study of the 2024 Pekanbaru Regional Election. 11(1), 413–440.
Riaz, A. (2025). Framing and Political Polarization : Analyzing News Coverage in Contemporary Elections. 01(01), 29–38.
Rodriguez-saavedra, M. O. (2026). Digital campaigns in social networks : Impact of political content on the electoral decision of young people. 16(2), 1–17.
Sabrina, D. F., Inder, B., Ramadhany, M. I., & Sukardi, S. (2026). The Role of Digital Media in Political Power and Information Polarization in Indonesia. 10(148), 157–179. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v10n1.p157-179
Sazali, H., & Azhar, A. A. (2026). Religious and Cultural Identity in Political Communication on Social Media in the 2024 Regent Elections in Batubara Regency. 7(2), 170–188.
Schwenk, J. (2024). The effect of primaries on voter evaluations of candidate quality : Experimental evidence. 30(5), 867–879. https://doi.org/10.1177/13540688231184627
Selvanathan, H. P., & Lickel, B. (2021). How mainstream and alternative media shape public attitudes toward social change: Evidence from two panel studies during Malaysia’s democratic transition. New Media & Society, 23, 3509–3538. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820954355
Shabana, A., Sinaga, A. B., & Kasim, A. (2024). AGENDA SETTING IN GENERAL ELECTION BROADCASTS DURING THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD ON METRO TV AND TV ONE. 8(2), 135–150.
Sinaga, N., Hasan, K., Nacia, M., & Aklima, R. (2024). Analysis of Political Communication on The Role of Social Media Towards the 2024 General Election.
Supriyanto, T. (2024). The Influence of Social Media on Political Participation in the Digital Era. International Journal of Social and Political Sciences, 1, 42–53. https://doi.org/10.69812/ijsps.v1i1.46
Taqi, N., Prasetyo, B. D., & Wulandari, M. P. (2025). Java Gubernatorial Election : An Analysis Based on Harold Lasswell ’ s Communication Model Strategi Komunikasi Politik dalam Pemilihan Gubernur Jawa Timur 2024 : Analisis Berdasarkan Model Komunikasi Harold Lasswell. 10(2).
Taras, D., & Davis, R. (2022). Electoral Campaigns, Media, and the New World of Digital Politics. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12013603
Ugwu, C., & Eze, V. (2023). Qualitative Research. 8, 20–35.
Vargas-Merino, J. A., Pillaca-Villarruel, C. del P., Silvera-Otañe, G. P., Fernández-Hurtado, G. A., Olórtegui-Alcalde, L. M., & Berrospi-Ytahashi, A. M. (2025). Unraveling the influence of political marketing on electoral decision-making: A robust analysis with PLS-SEM. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 12, 101811. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101811
Widodo, S., & Kristiyono, J. (2025). Digital democracy: transforming political communication in Indonesia. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi (Indonesian Journal of Communications Studies), 9, 153–168. https://doi.org/10.25139/jsk.v9i1.9524
Yadi, S., Yusuf, S., & Sauffiyan Hasan, D. (2023). The Influence of Media Exposure on Voters’ Behavior During The Sumbawa 2020 Local Election (PILKADA). Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication, 39, 425–440. https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2023-3901-24
Zaklama, S. (2025). Exploring the Foundations of Media Framing Theory. European Modern Studies Journal, 9, 75–89. https://doi.org/10.59573/emsj.9(1).2025.7
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 May Hesti Cahya Intan, Rina Martini (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
