The Playground of Big Tobacco? Discourse Network Analysis of the Cigarette Advertising Debate and Policy in Indonesia

Abstract

This study contributes to an understanding of the discourses of cigarette advertising which intersect within policy debate, media exposure, and the interests of a debate’s primary actors. The policy refers to the existing legislation that has been evolved for ten years. Meanwhile, the debate refers to the nuance of banning the cigarette advertisement in fully or partially form of regulation. It identifies and maps discourse coalitions that emerged as part of Indonesia’s cigarette advertising debate (2010–2020) through an analysis of the main actors’ use of arguments during media coverage of the policy. The findings highlight the contested ground—as well as nature—of the cigarette advertising debate and policy in Indonesia. The current research was able to map the actors, arguments, target audience, as well as channels and impacts of the debate over the evolution of policy in the nation. As implied, the current research engages in the critical use of Lasswell’s model in communication and the process of constructing policy with the strong ties of interest from organizations behind the discourse.