Choice of issues and impartial reporting of mediaindonesia.Com and voa-islam.com towards reuni 212

Abstract

This article discusses the behaviours or acts of Reuni 212 practiced by the Indonesian Muslim groups in Jakarta in 2018. They were dissatisfied with the performance of their government and demand for the improvement of mediaindonesia.com and voa-islam.com as online media that broadcast Reuni 212. This research aims to highlight choice of issues and source of information as well as news impartiality by mediaindonesia.com and voa-islam.com selected on Reuni 212. It uses content analysis technique with qualitative-descriptive approach guided by the agenda setting theory. From the aspect of issues created, results reveal that mediaindonesia.com regarded Reuni 212 as a political movement issue whilst voaislam.com regarded this as the unity of Indonesian Muslims. From the aspect of impartiality, the attribute on neutrality shows that voa-islam.com choose to be partial as compared to mediaindonesia.com. From the aspect of balance, both mediaindonesia.com and voa-islam.com, they dominantly choose source similar to their ideology. From the source attribute, mediaindonesia.com carries the traits of egalitarian and unbiased whilst voa.islam.com showed reservation towards outsiders. This research extends the view that there is media unity towards the setting of news in the newsroom. What took place in the real world could be fittingly situated by the people in the newsroom. They will set the issue and topic to be voiced and heard to the audience. All are planned aptly with the media agenda in relation to media ownership. Thus, both media has clearly shown the excellent use of the said theory towards Reuni 212.