Komunikasi politik populis: studi kasus gaya komunikasi Kang Dedi Mulyadi di media sosial

Abstract

This study examines the populist political communication style of Kang Dedi
Mulyadi (KDM), Governor of West Java since February 2025, on YouTube, Instagram, and
TikTok. Social media has become the main arena in which Indonesian politicians build their
image and reach the public directly, bypassing the framing of mainstream media.
The research uses a qualitative case study approach with content analysis of purposively
selected videos and posts accessed in July 2025. The analysis covers verbal narratives, visual
representations, and the framing of public problems, read through Jagers and Walgrave's
populist communication model, Moffitt's performative populism, and Chadwick's hybrid media
system. The findings show four interrelated dimensions: people-centrism expressed through stories of elderly and poor citizens helped directly; anti-elitism directed at slow bureaucracy rather than at social groups; personalized performance on social media that turns governance into serial
content; and Sundanese cultural symbols as a source of authenticity and legitimacy. The
"excluded other" of classic populism is weak; KDM's populism is inclusive and paternalistic.
The study concludes that KDM's style is effective in building emotional closeness, but its case
by-case logic risks displacing systemic policy and accountability. It recommends comparative
studies and audience research on the long-term effects of digital cultural populism.