The discussion of easing social restrictions and the New Normal regulation has recently been getting stronger. The Indonesian government intends to open up space so that economic activity can proceed as ‘Normal’ as before the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has arranged a New Normal scenario in the economic field in which implementation starts in July 2020.
“The discussion about New Normal is still very much centered on the government,” explained UGM PolGov researcher, Warih Aji Pamungkas, in a release received on Wednesday (3/6).
This conclusion is one of the results revealed by research conducted by the Research Center for Politics and Government (PolGov) Department of Politics and Government (DPP) UGM through the Big Data Analytics Laboratory. They were analyzing New Normal discussions in online media coverage in Indonesia in the period 1-30 May 2020, with 15,011 articles analyzed through online media. Reports obtained with news searches that contain the words “New Normal” and other words related to New Normal.
Warih explained that in reporting on the New Normal during the 1-30 May 2020, narratives and actors from the government are parties that dominated the discussion. In the news, four figures cited are Joko Widodo (3,334), Anis Baswedan (773), Erick Thohir (605), Ridwan Kamil (502) whereas the three agencies that mentioned significantly are WHO (889) l, UI (273) and Bank Indonesia (209).
This fact is not surprising because, in this phase, the government is starting for New Normal policies to reach broad public acceptance. It turns out that alternative discussions have also begun to emerge, which is shown by reporting from a non-government perspective brought by academics from UI.
Other findings show that the New Normal discussion emphasizes Covid-19 is not just a health problem but also a problem of governance, public order, and the economy. Two related issues dominate news about New Normal in the period 1-30 May 2020. First, issues related to governance and rule. Second, issues related to economics.
Warih further explained that from the news analysis, the government gave relatively stronger emphasis and priority to the social and economic aspects of the New Normal order compared to the health and legal issues.
“This analysis based on the trend of news concepts about New Normal in the period 1-30 May 2020 which is dominated by social, tourism and economic aspects,” he said.
Through this discussion analysis, to sum up, based on the review of the news in the period 1-30 May 2020, there is a tendency for the government to strengthen the security approach on public issues in the New Normal regulations. Those mostly illustrate the strength of the government’s choice to move the economy’s wheels for an encore. Besides, the government also applied discipline related to the pandemic, which involves supports from Police and the TNI.
The government also involved TNI so that the military helps overcome national disasters. Although the tendency of a security approach in handling Covid-19 in Indonesia has occurred since the beginning, this will become stronger in the New Normal regulation.
Author: Ika
Translator: Natasa A