1154 International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2020, 9, 1154-1163
E-ISSN: 1929-4409/20 © 2020 Lifescience Global
Framing Analysis of Village Funding Corruption in Media
Suaramerdeka.Com in Central Java, Indonesia, 2019
Agus Triyono
*
Lecturer at Broadcasting Program, Faculty of Computer Science, Dian Nuswantoro University, Jl. Imam
Bonjol 207 Semarang, Central Java, 50131, Indonesia
Abstract: Various corruption cases have occurred in many villages in Central Java, Indonesia. Corruption is mostly
carried out by village officials in running the government. One of many factors causing such corruption cases is the
existence of village fund assistance. These corruption cases have been published in the mass media, Specifically on
online media, i.e. suaramerdeka.com
This study aims to look at the media framing of corruption cases that have occurred in Central Java, particularly
concerning village funding assistance in various regions through the online media suaramerdeka.com.
This study is a constructive paradigm research. The approach method used is qualitative. Meanwhile, the analytical
method used is the Robert N. Entman framing analysis model.
The findings of this study stated that suaramerdeka.com framed the perpetrators of corruption as village officials.
Although it is acknowledged that not all of them are corrupt, the news seems to give the impression that village officials
have conducted a lot of corruption. However, on the other hand, the news content of suaramerdeka.com as a local
media in Central Java also lacks detail in reporting corruption issues. Moreover, it seems only normative and does not
show that it is a strong media in covering corruption cases. The explanation of the news was not very in-depth.
Keywords: Reporting on village fund corruption, news on suaramerdeka.com, framing analysis.
1. INTRODUCTION
Coverage of village fund corruption is an interesting
conversation in the media starting from large amounts
of village funds, village programs, village projects to
funds misappropriation. Many mass media reported the
misuse of village funds in Central Java both on printed
and online mass media and other media. One of the
existing media reporting about village funds and the
events which occurred in the online mass media is
suaramerdeka.com. Online media is an electronic
communication media that is not bound by time and
space to provide actual information that can be
accessed by the public in real-time (Halim, 2006: 27)
The suaramerdeka.com media does a lot of news
related to various problems in the distribution and use
of village funds that are scattered in various regions in
Central Java. This media also provides news, ranging
from the mode of village apparatus to corrupt village
funds such as making fictitious reports, inflating
budgets, reducing project volumes, to “playing”
projects. The existence of the media
suaramerdeka.com has also published many mass
actions due to the lack of transparency of the village
government in managing the village government,
especially the management of village funds.
*Address correspondence to this author at the Lecturer at Broadcasting
Program, Faculty of Computer Science, Dian Nuswantoro University, Jl. Imam
Bonjol 207 Semarang, Central Java, 50131, Indonesia; Tel: (+6224) 3517261;
Fax: (+6224) 3569684; E-mail: agustriyono7@gmail.com
According to data from the regional office of the
Directorate General of Treasury of Central Java
Province, in 2019, the village fund budget for the
province of Central Java (Central Java) in 2019
increased 17.10 percent from 2018. From Rp. 6.7
trillion to Rp. 7.8 trillion. Village funds of this size will be
distributed to 7,809 villages spread across 527 sub-
districts and 29 regencies in Central Java Province.
However, only 29 regencies in Central Java received
village funds, while small villages or "Kelurahan" in
each city government would receive “Kelurahan" funds.
The number of funds then became the media
spotlight in its implementation, including online media
suaramerdeka.com. Meanwhile, village funds
disbursed from 2015 amounted to Rp. 2.2 trillion, with
an average of Rp. 285 million each. This number
continued to increase in 2016 by Rp. 5 trillion with an
average of Rp. 640 million per village and in 2017 it
increased again by Rp. 6.3 trillion with an average of
Rp. 817.5 million per village. The number of village
funds increased again in 2018 to Rp. 6.7 trillion with an
average of Rp. 862.4 million per village. The size of the
village fund is attractive for the media to always publish
it. Moreover, many village heads have stumbled into
legal cases due to misuse of village funds. One of
these media is online media such as
suaramerdeka.com. 2019 was chosen because it was
the last stage of President Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla's
leadership in the village fund assistance policy. Some
reports about various corruption cases are often