Examining The Scholarly Literature on The Methods of Political Communication in Indonesia

Abstract

This study systematically reviews the evolution of political communication research in Indonesia from 2004 to 2024, emphasizing East Java as a dynamic sub-national context within the country’s democratic transition. It bridges theoretical and regional gaps by integrating the agenda-setting, framing, and mediamorphosis theories to interpret the shifting landscape of political discourse. Using a PRISMA-based protocol, data from national and international publications were thematically analyzed to trace conceptual developments and methodological trends. The findings indicate a transformation from traditional mass media to algorithmic digital platforms that reconfigure campaign strategies, issue salience, and public framing in both national and local arenas. Through the lens of mediamorphosis, this shift illustrates how media convergence and technological adaptation reshape participatory democracy and regional political engagement. However, existing studies remain urban- and elite-oriented, often neglecting local language, rural participation, and everyday communicative practices. This review contributes a synthesized theoretical framework and a regional perspective to understand Indonesia’s mediated democracy, while recommending ethnographic and discourse-based approaches to capture the lived realities of political communication across diverse local contexts.