Indonesia Conference Directory

This article aims to analyze and describe efforts to exploit public sphere by political elites in Indonesia through the use of mass media by spreading identity political propaganda, and efforts to find the agenda-setting of the mass media, especially behind the rampant loading of news about identity politics. The results show, first, that identity politics is considered as a powerful weapon by political elites to bring down the popularity and electability of their political rivals or efforts to gain political support from the public. The issue of ethnicity and religion are two things that are always included in the political agenda of the identity of the elite in Indonesia, especially the condition of Indonesian society where the atmosphere of primordialism and sectarianism is still strong enough so that it is very easy to win public sympathy, ignite anger and sentiment of the masses by propagating ethnic issues and religion. However, the results of the DKI Jakarta governor election in 2018 and the presidential election in 2019 which were enlivened by the use of identity politics did not influence the increase in voter support. Identity politics only strengthens a small number of swing voters who have not yet determined their political choices, whereas most voters have political preferences about their respective candidates. Second, the political elite has succeeded in making the issue of identity politics into the public sphere which is supposed to be free of ethnic, religious and racial nuances. The media which should be a gatekeeper does not perform this function properly because there is no process of filtering information including the use of social media in spreading the propaganda of identity politics which further exacerbates the conflict.