The Role of National Media Reporting in Supporting Defense Diplomacy Activities to Improve National Defense

Abstract

One of the problems of the Republic of Indonesia's National Defense is that the minimum defense force has not been fulfilled, so policy and budgetary support are needed to increase this force, including defense equipment. This support is required from the legislature (DPR-RI), the executive (especially Bappenas and the Ministry of Finance), as well as positive public aspirations, one of the indicators of which is the direction of national mass media coverage. Regarding this effort, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto carried out defense diplomacy activities by making a series of visits abroad, which raised pros and cons at home. Pointed starting from this background, this research aims to analyze how national online news media reports framing news regarding a series of visits to Indonesian defense diplomacy activities conducted by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto for the October 2019-November 2021 period; and what is the impact of online news media coverage in helping support from stakeholders in supporting defense diplomacy activities to improve national defense. This research approach is qualitative. Research period October 2019-November 2021. Primary data collection techniques are through in-depth interviews with eight sources and analyzing the framing of 15 news related to 15 news in three online news media (Kompas.com. Detik.com, and Tribunnews.com). Secondary data collection techniques through library research. The results of the study show that the framing of national online news media is positive, which can be interpreted as playing a role in supporting the defense diplomacy activities carried out by Defense Minister Prabowo in the form of a series of overseas visits for the period October 2019November 2021; and positive framing by the national online news media as the aspirations of the community (public) has had a positive impact on the attitude of stakeholders (DPR-RI, Bappenas, Ministry of Finance) by responding positively to the Ministry of Defense's policies to meet the needs of the TNI's leading weaponry equipment to improve national defense