Conclusion: The US in the Indonesian Press: Between Threat and Opportunity

Abstract

This study has qualitatively analyzed the development of the USA’s image in the Indonesian press in the period from 9/11 in 2001 until President Obama’s re-election in November 2012. This timeframe was chosen because it marked a period that was of great importance to Indonesia, as the way international politics were conducted changed drastically after 9/11, and since this paradigm change or change of the international setting hit Indonesia just a few years into its political democratization process. It was, therefore, of interest how the press—that functions as the primary source of information about foreign affairs in the world’s fourth most populous and largest Muslim nation—perceived US action and rhetoric. In order to get a clear picture and allow for an analytical generalization, within a research design based on diverse cases, the opinion section articles of three newspapers and one magazine constituted the primary data that was cross-checked with interview findings and previously available statistical data. Departing from the theoretical basis of the Theory of Threat Perception and the construction of the threat model, this study marked an attempt to enlarge the perspective. It argues that there is a connection between the media, public opinion and a country’s foreign policy, as the media is a source of information for the public and the elite have an impact on the political decision making process. Former studies of Indonesian threat perceptions have focused on elite perceptions and omitted an analysis of how these perceptions are formed. This is where the study at hand picks up the thread. The power position of the media to pass on information and therefore influence a nation’s political discourse should not be underestimated. Even if they are not directly involved in a country’s political decision making, as the source of information for the mass public and the elite, media influence the public discourse, which can put pressure on political decision makers. Hence, the media wield soft power (over information), while giving meaning to hard power facts, and so influence political processes.