The Perspective of Thejakartapost.com and Thejakartaglobe.com in viewing the Conflict between Cops, Students, and Residents at 5 March 2010 | Dimas Prasetyo

The Perspective of Thejakartapost.com and Thejakartaglobe.com in viewing the Conflict between Cops, Students, and Residents at 5 March 2010

Introduction

Through out world history, student movement has an important rule in each country. Students, with their independence and critical thinking, have the responsibility to supervise the run of government. Also, in Indonesia, student position themselves as the government controller by sounding people’s voice. Since 1965, the power of student movement has been proven by pointing to the moment of shifting from old order to the new order. Also, this power takes a part again while falling down the New Order in 1998. With their intellectual ability, they make discussion, writing, and demonstration to express people’s voice. However, when expressing their opinion in front of public, sometimes a clash can not be avoided. It could be between students and the cops, students and resident, or may be three of them in the same time. For instance is the class between students, residents, and cops in Makassar 5 March 2010. Triggered by the attack toward the office of HMI (Islamic Student association) by unrecognized people at 3 March, students accused the cops as the person behind the attack. As the result, students decided to strike back the cops at 4 March. This clash made the local resident nauseated, and involved to the conflict.

However, in viewing this case, we depend on the way of this case be delivered by the mass media. Each mass media has its own style in informing something. It could be from the sentence pattern, diction, or the using of tone in the writing. Like the case above, between two mass media with different background, one story can be delivered in various ways. Also, this tendency can give different impact to the reader while reading the case. Therefore, we need to read news, not only by the surface, but also to analyze it deeply.

In this essay, I would like to compare the way of two online editions of The Jakarta Post and The Jakarta Globe in delivering the news about student demonstration in Makassar 5 March 2010. Although both media use English as the language, they have different perspective related to the background. The Jakarta Post is the largest English newspaper in Indonesia which is published by PT Bina Media Tenggara. It is owned by the biggest Indonesian consortium, the Gramedia Group. The printed edition was launched at 25 April 1983 after the discussion between Indonesia Minister of Information Ali Moertopo and Mr. Jusuf Wanandi, who represented the government-backed Golkar newspaper Suara Karya. Government decided to allow the publishing in order to fight against the foreign perspective by Indonesia’s views regarding the international issue through English-newspaper. For the online edition (www.thejakartapost.com), The Jakarta Post has just made this on June 1994. On the other hand, The Jakarta Globe is relatively a new English-newspaper in Indonesia which was published at 12 November 2008 by PT Jakarta Globe Media. This newspaper provides an independent view beside the governments. Since the first date of the publishing, this newspaper has launched the online edition in address www.thejakartaglobe.com.

By comparing both online media which have different background, I will examine my hypothesis that is both thejakartapost.com and thejakartaglobe.com has different perspective in viewing the student movement in Indonesia. I carry out this hypothesis based on my pre-supposition that each media has own ideology behind. Moreover, the method I used is by comparing an article from thejakartapost.com and thejakartaglobe.com which deliver same story.  The first article is from thejakartapost.com titled “Cops busted over violence by students in Makassar”, which I got from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/06/cops-busted-over-violence-students-makassar.html at 21 March 2010 3:30 pm. Also, this article will be compared to the second article from thejakartaglobe.com titled” Police Head Apologizes for Student Clashes in Makassar” which I downloaded from http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/national/police-head-apologizes-for-student-clashes-in-makassar/362275 at 21 March 2010 3:35 pm. Both articles will be reviewed with the Critical Discourse Analysis theory (CDA) by Normand Fairclough. This theory analyzes the discourse by its text and context critically; to reveal the writer’s implied ideology which is can be seen from the language, symbols, the real construction, relation, and the identity within the text.

Moreover, there are three dimensions according to Norman Fairclough in dividing the discourse analysis: text, discourse practice, and sociocultural practice. At the first dimension, text is analyzed by it’s linguistically approach through the vocabularies, syntax, semantically meaning, sentence pattern, and cohesion. This analysis is aimed to see the representation, relation, and identity within text. At the second dimension, the discourse practice focuses on the participants and all ideologies behind. It views how the writer as the producer makes his writing and what will writer deliver to the reader as consumer, and the intellectual background as reader while reading the text. However, the sociocultural practice regarded as the dimension when the analysis is focusing on the other aspect beside the text. It considers him outside elements such as culture, society, or political pressure around the text. By all those dimensions, observer can see the implied message from both different style of news presenting.

1. Theoretical Approaches to Critical Discourse Analysis

Before go forward to our discussion about mass media’s view through Critical Discourse Analysis, it’s better to understand the definition of word “discourse” and “Discourse Analysis”. According to Barbara Johnstone in her book titled Introduction to Discourse Analysis (2002), discourse means “actual instances of communication in the medium of language”. This sentence refers to the basic definition of discourse which is related to linguistic studies. However, Michel Foucault gave rather different definition for word “discourse”. Foucault identifies discourse as the crucial element that works in the matter of power relation (Johnstone, 2001: 10). This term has a very strong connection to the political ideology and authority. Also, discourse is used as a tool by certain group to rule their power and domination toward culture and science (Hadi, 2008: 2).

Moreover, the discourse analysis itself refers to a methodology that can help reader in answering many question related to text (Johnstone, 202: 4). It can be used to reveal the writer’s ideology behind a text, how the language change, purpose behind certain sentence or utterance, and so on (Ibid, 2002: 4).

This methodology become more specific into several approaches and one of them is Critical Discourse Analysis. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) not only uses language as the media to be analyzed, but also relate the language with another context (Yuanita, 2009: 10). This approach has the main duty to reveal the implied ideology behind a discourse (Yuwono, 2008: 2). For instance, in many newspapers, they have certain ideology or implied purposes that are going to be delivered to the readers. Realized or not, this ideology is acquired by the readers indirectly, and build certain social influence in community. Moreover, in his theory, Norman Fairclough, uses language as the media to analyze any implied meaning behind the discourse. Language is taken as the social practice that used not only as the media of expression and communication by certain community, but also considered as something that is shaped by social construction (Fairclough, 1995: 131).

However, in this paper, I will use all of three dimensions which are mentioned by Fairclaugh to examine an article from thejakartapost.com and thejakartaglobe.com, and reveal the implied ideology from both newspapers. Practically, this analysis goes through the text as the media, and will be related to the discourse and social culture practice as well. First, I will analyze the representation being shown through the text. This part is used to represent an event or person which is involved in the text. It could be from the word choice (diction), the sentence pattern, or the theme exposed in the text. Second, the analysis will try to show the relation and identity of every players involved in the text. In this context, these players include the journalist, reader, and third parties that involved in the text. Whether the journalist positions himself as the main player (interpreting all the events by his language), put all players in the equal role, or hide him to indirectly give any support to certain player. By all this method, observer can see what is going occur behind the text itself, included the ideology, purpose, or any issues which are going to rise by the discourse.

1. Critical Discourse Analysis Toward the news about Student Protest on Makassar 5 March 2010 in thejakartapost.com at 6 March 2010.

In this first article titled “Cops busted over violence by students in Makassar”, thejakartapost.com published the news one day after the event (6 March 2010). The article itself consists of 1 title or headline, 1 lead, and 21 body paragraphs. Below is the analysis which is divided into two parts. At the beginning, analysis will open with the representation of the text. Second, analysis will be continued with the relation and identity within the text.

1. Analysis of Representation within the Text.

In this first part, the analysis will be opened by the title “Cops busted over violence by students in Makassar”. By the sentence pattern, the writer put the word cop as the subject. In other words, the word Cop is positioned as the main player that has important role in this theme. This fact tells us, as the critical reader, that the writer wants to show of the cops as the main player to be discussed entire the article. Also, this title put word student as the object who also involved in this news.

Moreover, this title put word “violence” to describe the event which was going occur at this article. According to thefreedictionary.com (2010), the word violence means physical force exerted for the purpose of violating, damaging, or abusing. That definition gives a very bad impact to the reader while consuming that news. It will give an image that the protest of students in Makassar at 5 March 2010 made a lot of damage and chaos by any vandalism action.

However, the strategy of passive sentence at the title also refines the purpose of writer who wants to tell reader that this violence was done by student instead of the cops. This is the very smart way to make this title not too offensive toward the student movement. The writer put the word Cops at the beginning to make them as if the creator of the violence.

In addition, the title “Cops busted over violence by students in Makassar” in fact does not tell the complete event which going occur in the news that involve cops, students, and residents. In the lead of the news, the writer add new information that can be seen on this sentence “Students resumed clashes against police and fed-up residents in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Friday, in a continuation of the violence sparked Wednesday by an attack on a student office.”. This kind of strategy obviously expose the role of cops and students in this violence, and the same time, eliminate the role of resident.

On the other hand, writer put students as the main player at the lead section by putting that word in the beginning. This way also strengthens the idea of positioning students as the main player that made the violence. The adjective feed-up before the word resident also point to students that resume the clashes. Students were blamed by the writer as the main player that causes all the violence. The word students directly put as the doer against the two objects which are residents and cops.

The first body paragraph also shows the other supporting fact that encourages students to do the violence. “The violence began Thursday, stemming from an attack Wednesday night on the Islamic Students Association’s (HMI) secretariat and the subsequent assault of HMI students at a local police station.” Moreover, on the next paragraph, the writer adds his article with other event that happens outside the case, but still has any relation. “In Jakarta, fellow HMI members similarly clashed with police during a protest in Cikini on Friday.”

Another aspect is the using of quotation. Usually, quotation is used to support writer idea with another side opinion or statement. In this article, writer does not give equal quotation. From several quotations which are contained in this article, most of them are from cops side, and none of them from the students. Also, the indirect quotation in this article only tells the opinion from the cops. “Gatta said the police had also identified the 17 students believed to have attacked the Ujungpandang Police station on Thursday, but had not called them in for questioning.”.

Lastly, the writer diction also corners the student’s side. In describing the case when student broke down several police’s cars, the writer use word vandalize that has very bad meaning. “The protest turned violent when the students vandalized a police car. Local residents soon joined the fray, hurling rocks at the students.”

1. Analysis of the Relation and Identity within the Text.

In this article, there are five main participants involved. They are students, cops, government, residents, and the writer itself. In delivering his writing, the writer does not give balance portion to every participant. The students, although take by the writer as the main player who made the violence, do not have any direct opinion through out the news. They are just described as the side that made the violence without any opportunity to sound their own reasons. The writer tries to give the reason by his observation only.

On the other hand, the cops were given the biggest portion by the writer by quoting some speech. “’Of the four, two have already been named suspects and two are being treated as witnesses,’ said Makassar Police chief Sr. Comr. Gatta Khaerudin.”. The writer put much statement by the cops that support their position among the conflict. In this way, the cops can put themselves in the right position without any attacking opinion from other side.

In this case, government pretend themselves as the mediator between the conflicted sides. They represent the resident’s voice through the mayor of Makassar. “Mayor Ilham also raised the point, saying, “Students and residents used to be good to each other, and the same with the police. But in the last two days,

Things changed and residents clashed with students. What happened?” Moreover, government takes the neutral side between cops and students. They do not blame any side that has the responsibility toward the clash.

From the analysis so far, can be seen that thejakartapost.com has any tendencies to support the cops. There is not comparative portion which is gained by each side. The students as the main player in the violence do not have enough part to give their arguments.

1. Critical Discourse Analysis Toward the news about Student Protest on Makassar 5 March 2010 in thejakartaglobe.com at 5 March 2010.

Different with thejakartapost.com, in this second article titled “Police Head Apologizes for Student Clashes in Makassar”, thejakartaglobe.com published the news at the same day with the event (5 March 2010). The article itself consists of 1 title or headline, 1 lead, and 15 body paragraphs. Below is the analysis which is divided into two parts. At the beginning, analysis will open with the representation of the text. Second, analysis will be continued with the relation and identity within the text.

1. 1. Analysis of the Representation within the Text.

Firstly, the most important part to be analyzed in this article is the title “Police Head Apologizes for Student Clashes in Makassar”. In this sentence, police is put by the writer as the main player within the affirmative sentence. The word Police is considered as the subject for an action which is apologizing for any falsest toward the students. Semantically, this sentence tells us that police recognize their false that they made regarding the conflict between students, cops, and residents on 5 March. On the other hand, it also gives Andy interpretation that students are not blamed for this conflict.

Moreover, in this title also use word “clash” to describe the conflict. According to thefreedictionary.com (2010), the word clash means a conflict, as between opposing or irreconcilable ideas. By this definition, it shows that the conflict occur between several sides. Each side has the portion in the conflict. There is no a side as a victim or vandalism, they fight against each other. Also, this diction result lighter pressure toward the students. The writer tries to blame the police indirectly by writing a title that police apologizes to their falls.

The writer uses a strategy by raising a side that is not involved to the conflict directly. It can be seen at the lead of news where the head quarter of Indonesia National Police making an apology. “As students continued to clash with police in Makassar on Friday after four officers were arrested the day before for attacking students, National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri delivered an apology in Jakarta for any possible wrongdoing by his staff in the South Sulawesi capital.” The phrase “four officers were arrested”, is used by the writer to expose the fact that the Chief of Indonesia National Police (Kapolri) recognized their false during the conflict. This way also gives a legitimating to writer’s idea.

However, in delivering his article, writing does not give proportional quotation. All the quotation only comes from the cop’s side.

“’If mistakes are made by my members in the field, I apologize,’ he said. ‘But for sure, there is no effort from police to pit people against our university friends from the HMI [Islamic Students Association]. There was only miscommunication.’”

There is no clarification from other side, include the students. In this article, writer put the cops as the main player who has the responsibility toward the conflict. Students were put as the object or dramatically, victim.

Moreover, there is a signal that writer tries to support the students by his word choice. Instead of use word such vandalize, writer use word damage in his following sentences. “The protest blocked major thoroughfares in the city. Two cars, including one police vehicle and some motorcycles were damaged by students and residents.” Quoted from thefreedictionary.com (2010), the word damage means harm or injury to property or a person, resulting in loss of value or the impairment of usefulness. This word also has better connotation if we compare to word such vandalize.

1. 1. Analysis of the Relation and Identity within the Text.

In this article, there are three participants involved: cops, writer, and students. The biggest portion is taken by the cops to state their voice and apology. Writer takes much quotation from Kapolri Jendral Bambang Hendarso Daluri and Kapolda Makassar to support writer’s idea. By this strategy, writer tries to blame the police side indirectly by using some statements from the police.

On the other hand, the students do not have any space to state their voice or give a clarification. Their voice is represented by the writer who put police as the main player, and the side who most responsible toward the conflict. Therefore, it can be seen that the writer has an independent perspective outside the government.

1. Comparison between the Perspective of thejakartapost.com and thejakartaglobe.com.

According to my analysis above, there are some identification toward the differences and similarities between the perspective of thejakartapost.com and thejakartaglobe.com. This comparison can be caused by the context and social cultural factors that form the background of both on-line newspapers.

1. 1. Differences.

From both article’s analysis, there are two mainly distinction which can be seen from the diction and theme. In the article titled “Cops busted over violence by students in Makassar” by thejakartapost.com, writer use word such vandalize that has very negative connotation. This word writer use to describe the student’s action that broke some cars and public facilities. However, in the second article titled “Police Head Apologizes for Student Clashes in Makassar” by thejakartaglobe.com, writer use word damage for the same action. It shows the writer sympathy toward the students by use softer word. Furthermore, both articles also use different theme. The first article, put students as the most blamed side against the conflict. Writer uses much quotation that supports the violence by the students. However, in the second article, writer tries to put police as the subject who request an apology for their false in Makassar conflict. Indirectly, this shows that writer want to draw reader’s conclusion to blame the police side, not the students anymore.

1. 1. Similarities.

Beside the differences, there is also a similarity between two articles. Each writer does not give equal portion to every participant along the text. They expose the cop’s side as the dominant player. Most of the quotation comes from the cop’s side. There is none from the students or the resident’s side. Writer only give some voice of both side from his interpretation.

1. Discussion

After the analysis section, it can be seen that my hypothesis is proven. There are differences between thejakartapost.com and thejakartaglobe.com perspective in viewing the student movement in Makassar 5 March 2010. They support one side in viewing that case that shown from the diction, theme, and the sentence pattern. It also answer my question that each media has own ideology that influences by each background. As the governmental background newspaper, thejakartapost.com has the ideology to support the government side. In this case, police is taken as the government side by the writer. The newspaper tries to blame the students as the vandalism and antigovernment side. However, thejakartaglobe.com which is relatively new and more independent newspaper, take the opposite side by supporting the student’s movement. Although the shore up is not really obvious, it can be seen by Critical Discourse Analysis approach.

Conclusion

While reading newspaper, it can not only from what stated on the surface. Reader should read critically to recognize the bias, and take the neutral side as the reader. Each newspaper has own implied ideology that always infiltrated to all news published by the newspaper. Fro these reason, reader need Critical Discourse Analysis to view the news independently. For example is in viewing the case of conflict between cops, students, and residents in Makassar 5 March 2010. If reader use the Critical Discourse Analysis approach, it can be seen the hidden purpose and ideology whether certain newspaper supporting one side or the other side.

Bibliography

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3. Fairclough, Norman. 1995. Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language. London: Longman
4. Yuwono, Untung. 2008. “Ketika Perempuan Lantang Menentang Poligami: Sebuah Analisis Wacana Kritis tentang Wacana Antipoligami”, Wacana, Vol. 10 No.1, hlm. 1—25, April.
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6. Hajramurni, Andi. “Cops busted over violence by students in Makassar” Style Sheet. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/06/cops-busted-over-violence-students-makassar.html at 21 March 2010 3:30 pm
7. Osman, Nurfika and Camelia Pasandaran. “Police Head Apologizes For Student Clashes in Makassar”. Style Sheet. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/national/police-head-apologizes-for-student-clashes-in-makassar/362275 at 21 March 2010 3:35 pm
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