Media Convergence in Indonesian Radio: Integrating Terrestrial and Multiplatform Broadcasting

Background: Digital disruption has changed the global broadcasting landscape, shifting radio from a rigid terrestrial medium to a more fluid multiplatform ecosystem. Although digital platforms dominate the attention economy, radio in Indonesia has shown unique resilience by combining legacy trust with digital network-based interaction. Purpose: This study aims to reformulate radio content distribution strategies and explain how radio management adapts to the logic of platformisation in the digital age. Methods: This research used a multi-site qualitative approach with case studies on three types of radio stations in Indonesia. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and reinforced with digital ethnography. Results: The results show that radio's sustainability is supported by three main pillars. First, algorithmic grooming, which is a radio strategy to tailor content to the logic of visual platform algorithms. Second, distributional decoupling, where radio identity no longer depends entirely on physical frequencies. Third, the utilization of radio as a ‘human infrastructure’ that builds emotional closeness and parasocial interaction with the audience. This study also found the important role of radio in regional areas as a backup information medium when digital networks are disrupted. Conclusion: This study concludes that the revival of radio has occurred through its transformation from a frequency provider to a flexible and adaptive ‘everywhere media’ entity. Implications: Theoretically, this study contributes to the development of media convergence theory by emphasizing that strategic fluidity, the ability to operate across digital and terrestrial boundaries, is key to radio's resilience in the digital age.

https://jurnal.unpad.ac.id/kajian-jurnalisme/article/view/66381

Critical discourse analysis of ‘Peringatan Darurat Garuda Biru’ in digital political communications

The development of digital technology has changed the landscape of political communication, especially through social media, which has now become the main arena for narrative battles and political meaning production. This study analyses the cyber politics strategy in the ‘Garuda Biru Emergency Warning’ content uploaded by the Instagram account @narasi.tv, as a form of symbolic criticism of the democratic situation in Indonesia. Using a qualitative approach with a critical paradigm, this study applies Teun A. van Dijk's Critical Discourse Analysis combined with classical propaganda theory and digital political communication theory. Data was obtained through the documentation of visual and textual content. This study seeks to answer three main questions: (1) How are political propaganda strategies constructed in the “Peringatan Darurat Garuda Biru” content through visual symbols, diction, and narrative? (2) How does this content shape public opinion and position the media as an actor resisting elite domination? (3) To what extent does social media enable a shift in the production of political discourse from the state to independent media and digital influencers? The results of the study indicate that digital propaganda in this content is constructed through a combination of visual symbols (blue Garuda), authoritative diction (emergency warning), and aesthetic narratives that evoke public emotion. This strategy shapes opinion through affective resonance and demonstrates a shift in symbolic power from the state to independent media and digital actors. This research confirms that social media is not merely a communication tool, but also an arena for ideological contestation and discourse production in contemporary democracy.

https://ejournal.unitomo.ac.id/index.php/jsk/article/view/10809

Buku Ajar Manajemen Dan Konvergensi Media

 

Radio Business Navigation in the Era of Talent Scarcity: Governance Strategies of Istara FM Surabaya

The radio broadcasting industry is currently facing dual challenges: aggressive digital media competition and a scarcity of human resources interested in pursuing broadcasting as a profession. As a youth-segmented radio in Surabaya, Istara FM is at a critical point where the regeneration of broadcasters clashes with the rapid growth of the digital creator economy. This study aims to analyze the business navigation and governance strategies implemented by Istara FM Surabaya to maintain operational sustainability amidst talent limitations. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. Data were collected through observations of broadcasting activities and social media management, as well as documentation studies related to the station's business model. The results indicate that Istara FM utilizes three tactical pillars: shifting broadcasters into 'hybrid-talents' who manage the entire content lifecycle, optimizing automation to act as an operational shield, and pivoting from traditional advertising to 'consultative' local partnerships. The study concludes that the station’s survival isn't about technology alone, but about a radical restructuring of HR functions that prioritizes 'willpower' and adaptability over traditional job descriptions.

https://mryformosapublisher.org/index.php/fjss/article/view/829

The Use of Social Media as a Space for Counter-Hegemony for Female Politicians: Discourse Analysis of Khofifah Indar Parawansa’s Leadership on Instagram

This study aims to analyze the use of Instagram social media by Khofifah Indar Parawansa as a space for counter-hegemony against the stigma of female leadership in Indonesia. Using a qualitative discourse analysis method, this study dissects digital content from late 2025 to early 2026. The results show that Khofifah employs three main narrative strategies: (1) Technical Narrative through achievements in food self-sufficiency and data digitalization to challenge the stigma of incompetence; (2) Empathy Narrative which repositions maternal traits as collaborative strengths; and (3) Authority Narrative in the masculine environment of Forkopimda to affirm the legitimacy of power. Social media has proven to be an effective tool for female politicians to construct independent identities and resist patriarchal hegemony in the digital public sphere in East Java, Indonesia.

https://ijsrm.net/index.php/ijsrm/article/view/6952

Fluid Media Ecosystems: Reconceptualizing Radio Content Distribution in the Age of Digital Disruption

The digital transformation of broadcasting has transformed it from static terrestrial media into a dynamic media ecosystem. Previous research has primarily focused on the technological shift towards digitalization, but significant gaps remain in understanding how broadcast management should address platformization and algorithmic dependence. This study aimed to reconstruct broadcast content distribution strategies through a qualitative survey conducted at multiple locations in Indonesia. The research subjects included three different types of radio stations: Gen FM (urban and opinion leader-driven), Swaragama FM (data-driven), and Nebula FM (regional, hyperlocal, and resilient). Data collection methods included in-depth interviews with industry leaders and longitudinal analyses of digital performance indicators. The results indicate that the "renaissance of broadcasting" represents not only a platform shift but also a strategic restructuring of audience engagement and online interactions. The study identifies three emerging strategies: using algorithms to guide users to occupy visual platforms, challenging traditional rating systems through data-driven decoupling, and using hyperlocalization as a defense against the apathy of global streaming services. The study concludes that the survival of traditional media in the Global South depends on their ability to continue functioning as "everyday media" and to transform from frequency providers into influence management centers. Theoretically, this study provides a new framework for media resilience, pointing out that flexibility the ability to navigate ever-changing digital boundaries is the most important passport for modern broadcasting.

https://ijsrm.net/index.php/ijsrm/article/view/6989