Public Narratives and Ethnic Conflict Portrayal: Media Analysis of the Rohingya Conflict
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24090/komunika.v18i2.10678Keywords:
Public narratives, ethnic conflict, Mass media, rohingya refugees, public receptionAbstract
In Southeast Asia, ethnic conflicts are complex phenomena influenced by religious affiliations, nationalism, and citizenship rights. This study examines the role of media in shaping public narratives and perceptions of the Rohingya crisis, particularly in Aceh, Indonesia. Media analysis reveals that coverage provides practical insights into the consequences of refugee influx, highlighting social, humanitarian, and infrastructural impacts. Moreover, media diversifies understanding by presenting varied perspectives and linking ethnic conflicts with broader issues such as human trafficking. The study emphasizes how media narratives influence community attitudes towards Rohingya refugees in Aceh, reflecting shifts in acceptance or rejection based on portrayal. It underscores media's responsibility for accurate, balanced coverage crucial in shaping public understanding. Employing qualitative content analysis of print and online sources from 2023, this research examines media's depiction of the Rohingya conflict and refugee responses in Aceh. Findings contribute insights into media's role in public perception and its impact on refugee acceptance. This study advocates further media analysis to deeper understanding of complex ethnic conflicts, aiming to mitigate stereotypes and foster empathy towards refugees. Encourage balanced and diverse media reporting on ethnic conflicts to foster empathy and informed public dialogue, particularly in communities like Aceh. Support further research and education on the media's role in shaping perceptions to promote effective conflict resolution and humanitarian responses.References
Biberman, Y., Gul, S., & Ocakli, F. (2016). Channeling Islam: Religious Narratives on Pakistani Television and Their Influence on Pakistani Youth. Asian Affairs: An American Review, 43(3), 78–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/00927678.2016.1202712
Brenner, D. (2024). Misunderstanding Myanmar Through the Lens of Democracy. International Affairs, 100(2), 751–769. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiae015
Brooten, L. (2015). Blind Spots in Human Rights Coverage: Framing Violence Against the Rohingya in Myanmar/Burma. Popular Communication, 13(2), 132–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2015.1021466
Coddington, K. (2023). The everyday erosion of refugee claims: Representations of the Rohingya in Thailand. Social & Cultural Geography, 24(2), 274–291. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2021.1939125
Crawley, H., & Skleparis, D. (2018). Refugees, migrants, neither, both: categorical fetishism and the politics of bounding in Europe’s ‘migration crisis.’ Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 44(1), 48–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2017.1348224
Ehmer, E., & Kothari, A. (2021). Malaysia and the Rohingya: Media, Migration, and Politics. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 19(4), 378–392. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2020.1821274
Greussing, E., & Boomgaarden, H. G. (2017). Shifting the refugee narrative? An automated frame analysis of Europe’s 2015 refugee crisis. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 43(11), 1749–1774. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2017.1282813
Hanifah, U. (2019). Analisis Framing Tentang Wacana Terorisme di Media Massa (Majalah Sabili). KOMUNIKA: Jurnal Dakwah Dan Komunikasi, 13(2), 283–298. https://doi.org/10.24090/komunika.v13i2.2053
Haque, M. M., Othman, Z., & Bin Mat, B. (2023). Rohingya refugees and their right to work in Malaysia. Asian Affairs: An American Review, 50(2), 95–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/00927678.2023.2197582
Hsia, H.-C. (2021). From ‘social problems’ to ‘social assets’: geopolitics, discursive shifts in children of Southeast Asian marriage migrants, and mother-child dyadic citizenship in Taiwan. Citizenship Studies, 25(7), 955–974. https://doi.org/10.1080/13621025.2021.1968687
Irom, B., Borah, P., Vishnevskaya, A., & Gibbons, S. (2022). News Framing of the Rohingya Crisis: Content Analysis of Newspaper Coverage from Four Countries. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 20(1), 109–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2021.1906472
Islam, M. R., & Wara, U. (2022). Conflict Potential of the Rohingya People in Bangladesh and Beyond. JAS (Journal of ASEAN Studies), 10(1). https://doi.org/10.21512/jas.v10i1.8215
Israpil, I., & Suardi, S. (2021). The Innovation and Creativity of Religious Moderation Learning Through Sociology Learning and Pancasila and Citizenship Education in Public Schools and Madrasas Gorontalo City. JED (Jurnal Etika Demokrasi), 6(2), 232–242. https://doi.org/10.26618/jed.v6i2.5527
Kazi, T. (2016). The changing dynamics of religious authority on Pakistani religious television. Culture and Religion, 17(4), 468–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/14755610.2017.1296011
Kipgen, N. (2019). The Rohingya Crisis: The Centrality of Identity and Citizenship. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 39(1), 61–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602004.2019.1575019
Krzyżanowski, M., Triandafyllidou, A., & Wodak, R. (2018). The Mediatization and the Politicization of the “Refugee Crisis” in Europe. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 16(1–2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2017.1353189
Lee, J. (2023). “Teach what’s good for learners”: Adaptive teacher pedagogy for social and emotional learning in Malawi. International Journal of Educational Development, 102, 102870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102870
Molin, G. (2017). The Role of the Teacher in Game-Based Learning: A Review and Outlook. In Serious Games and Edutainment Applications (pp. 649–674). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51645-5_28
O’Sullivan, C. (2001). The news media and the resolution of ethnic conflict: Ready for the next steps? Global Review of Ethnopolitics, 1(2), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/14718800108405097
Olsen, E. D. H., & Grønning, R. (2019). From Humanitarian Needs to Border Control: Norwegian Media Narratives on Migration and Conceptions of Justice. The International Spectator, 54(3), 90–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2019.1641364
Pigantelli, M. (2016). Ethnic Conflicts and the Media. Ciências e Políticas Públicas / Public Sciences & Policies, 2(1), 119–139. https://doi.org/10.33167/2184-0644.cpp2016.viin1/pp.119-139
Rashid, N. Z., & Saidin, M. I. S. (2023). ‘#SayNoToRohingya’: a critical study on Malaysians’ amplified resentment towards Rohingya refugees on Twitter during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis. The Round Table, 112(4), 386–406. https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2244287
Rasyid, S., Prabandari, A. P., Daren, B. C., & Simanjuntak, C. (2022). The Role of Indonesian Diplomacy in Managing the Conflict between The Myanmar Government and The Rohingya Muslim Ethnic. Unnes Law Journal, 8(1), 159–178. https://doi.org/10.15294/ulj.v7i1.53704
Siddiquee, M. A. (2019). The portrayal of the Rohingya genocide and refugee crisis in the age of post-truth politics. Asian Journal of Comparative Politics, 5(2), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/2057891119864454
Usman, A. R., Sulaiman, A., Muslim, M., & Zulyadi, T. (2023). Conflict and Cultural Adaptation of the Aceh Rohingya Refugees in Media Opinion. Profetik: Jurnal Komunikasi, 16(1), 109. https://doi.org/10.14421/pjk.v16i1.2491
Vu, H. T., & Lynn, N. (2020). When the News Takes Sides: Automated Framing Analysis of News Coverage of the Rohingya Crisis by the Elite Press from Three Countries. Journalism Studies, 21(9), 1284–1304. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2020.1745665
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Muhammad Iqbal, Mukhlis, Herman Fithra, Said Alwi, Zulfikar Ali Buto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
