Public communication has become a political minefield for the Prabowo-Gibran administration over the past year. Instead of easing public concerns, several statements from state officials in the last ten months have triggered controversy. Contradictory, ambiguous, and insensitive remarks reveal a crisis in political message management and raise questions about how carefully language is prioritized within the government.
This phenomenon has drawn serious attention from academics, including Professor Nyarwi Ahmad, an expert in public communication and media strategy from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Fisipol UGM).
According to Professor Ahmad, the root of this communication crisis lies in officials’ failure to distinguish between persuasive communication and coercion.
“Coercion is different from persuasion,” explained Professor Ahmad in the 24th edition of the Diskusi Komunikasi Magister (Diskoma) at Fisipol UGM, themed “From the Rhetoric of Arrogance to the Rhetoric of Urgency”, held online on Thursday (Sep. 25).
He further explained that persuasion is essentially a dialogical process supported by data and rationality.
It involves presenting arguments with evidence, aiming to change attitudes and behavior, and inviting the public to engage in dialogue on shared values that can foster mutual understanding.
In contrast, Professor Ahmad viewed the often-controversial actions of political elites as undemocratic coercion.
He cited the example of a minister who responded to public criticism with the statement, “Just leave, and don’t bother coming back.”
According to him, this reflects defensive communication rather than constructive dialogue.
“This shows that what is being offered is not solutions or discussions, but arrogance,” he emphasized.
Professor Ahmad urged the government to improve its public communication practices so that official statements do not trigger unnecessary controversy or unrest.
Public communication by state officials has also become a concern for Dr. Agus Sudibyo, a communication practitioner and alumnus of Fisipol UGM.
Dr. Sudibyo observed that many officials lack a clear understanding of whether social media functions as a public or private space.
In response to this blurred ethical boundary, he called for greater accountability not only from government officials but also from society as a whole.
“With such ambiguous ethical standards, officials must adopt the highest standards of ethics in mass communication that is free from prejudice, insinuation, intimidation, and hate speech,” he concluded.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Illustration: Freepik