Indonesian Presidential Statements on Crisis and Risk Communication During the Third Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Discourse Analysis by Nani Kurniasari, Sharifah Nadiah Syed Mukhiar and Suriati Saad
ABSTRACT
The confirmation of the first Omicron case towards the end of 2021 was a turning point for Indonesia entering the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aims to determine the practice of Indonesian’s COVID-19 crisis and risk communication by the central government through examining how President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) communicated the crisis. Refers to discourse analysis, we use data from six presidential speeches related to key occasions in Indonesia during the third wave of the COVID-19. We did so in examples when Jokowi provided clear instructions regarding adhering to COVID-19 rules or other proper behaviours. This study found that the country’s metaphorical construction unites Jokowi and the people as a family, which is demonstrated in linguistic choices, particularly ‘we’ and ‘together’. On the other hand, Jokowi also uses ‘I’ as a central government representative to ask, emphasize, remind, and recommend certain actions to the public in an effort to stop the virus’s spread. For instance, Jokowi emphasised the value of routine hand washing, keeping one’s distance from others, and using a mask. ‘Continue wearing masks’, ‘maintain your distance’, and ‘wash your hands’, these communications were first given credit for ‘cut-through’ with Indonesian citizens because they were straightforward, unequivocal, clear, and simple to understand, which led to safety recommendations during the beginning of the pandemic. In the midst of a pandemic, the government can use this study to prominently interact with the public and deliver addresses, even for other crises in the future.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, crisis communication, risk communication, discourse analysis, government communication