FRAMING POLITICAL HOAXES IN INDONESIAN ONLINE MEDIA: A HERMENEUTIC ANALYSIS OF THE REPRESENTATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC CRISIS

Abstract

The proliferation of political hoaxes in Indonesian online media has increasingly threatened the quality of democracy, particularly during the 2024 general election. This study aims to analyze how political hoaxes are framed in online media coverage and how such framing constructs the representation of a democratic crisis. The research employs a qualitative approach within a constructivist paradigm, combining Robert N. Entman’s framing analysis with a hermeneutic approach. The data consist of news texts from national online media platforms such as Kompas.com, Detik.com, and Tirto.id published between 2023 and 2025, collected through documentation techniques. The findings reveal that media consistently apply a normative framing structure that positions hoaxes as threats to democracy, while simultaneously constructing narratives of declining public trust, social polarization, and the dominance of post-truth logic. Furthermore, the framing is influenced by socio-political contexts and the characteristics of digital media. These findings imply that online media not only reflect reality but also actively shape democratic discourse, highlighting the need for stronger media literacy and journalistic professionalism.