The Democracy and Electoral Empowerment Partnership (DEEP) has unveiled compelling research findings regarding the prevailing narratives surrounding the incoming administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka across both mainstream and social media channels.
DEEP’s comprehensive analysis reveals a significant disparity in how the Prabowo-Gibran government is perceived, identifying a pronounced imbalance between mainstream media reporting and public discourse on social media platforms throughout 2025.
According to Neni Nur Hayati, Director of DEEP, mainstream media coverage generally exhibited a positive sentiment, whereas social media was predominantly filled with criticism directed at the Prabowo-Gibran administration.
The research, aptly titled ‘Year-End Evaluation and Reflection in the Political Landscape of Democracy, Law, Human Rights, Corruption Eradication, Education, and Economy,’ effectively maps out public sentiment, pinpointing key moments that triggered a surge in conversations across both online social platforms and established news outlets.
“Numerically, the high proportion of positive sentiment in media reporting versus negative sentiment on social media indicates underlying support for the Red and White Cabinet. However, this is juxtaposed with serious public criticism leveled against the Prabowo-Gibran government,” Neni elucidated while presenting DEEP’s findings at Rumah Perubahan, Bekasi, West Java, on Tuesday (2/12).
Neni further elaborated that mainstream media, with its inherent editorial processes encompassing title selection, diction, and issue framing, tends to present more moderate reporting, often shying away from harsh language. This structured approach contrasts sharply with the digital realm.
On social media, citizens enjoy greater freedom to express their anger or disappointment regarding perceived suboptimal government performance. This environment allows for unfiltered expressions of public sentiment.
“For instance, narratives calling for the dissolution of the DPR and KPK emerge when their performance fails to meet public expectations. Clearly, there are no narrative or diction filters within the social media space,” Neni remarked, highlighting the raw nature of online discourse.
President leads National Heroes Day Pilgrimage Ceremony (ANTARA FOTO/Galih Pradipta/sg)
Neni cited instances such as the narrative surrounding the ratification of the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) law revision and the formation of a “fat coalition” as key drivers of negative public sentiment towards the Prabowo-Gibran government on social media throughout the year. These issues resonate deeply with the public and fuel critical conversations.
Indeed, discussions surrounding the ratification of the TNI law revision, the expansive “fat coalition,” concerns over declining civil liberties, and perceived poor government public communication have collectively become central to the negative sentiment surrounding the Prabowo-Gibran administration.
Conversely, positive sentiments were significantly bolstered by Prabowo‘s address at the United Nations (UN) podium and his active participation in the Gaza Summit. These high-profile international engagements projected a more favorable image.
Despite the positive reception for Prabowo‘s speech, the public maintains a critical stance, believing Indonesia has not been sufficiently firm in its defense of Palestine. Paradoxically, the government’s proposal for a two-state solution itself triggered a wave of diverse public criticism, showcasing the complexity of public opinion.
“Social media frequently serves as a vital platform where the public can more freely voice their grievances, critiques, or dissatisfaction. Furthermore, social media algorithms often accelerate the dissemination of content that evokes strong emotions, amplifying these sentiments,” Neni concluded, explaining the mechanics behind online public reactions.
This current DEEP research employed two primary types of data to comprehensively map the dynamics of politics, democracy, law, human rights, and corruption eradication throughout 2025.
For its quantitative analysis, DEEP gathered extensive social media data, meticulously collecting all mentions, comments, likes, shares, and posts containing keywords related to the Prabowo-Gibran government, politics, elections, democracy, law, human rights, and corruption issues. This broad sweep ensures a holistic view of online conversations.
Data was diligently collected from five prominent social media platforms: X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. The objective was to precisely observe how the public expresses its opinions, criticisms, and perceptions of the government within the expansive digital landscape.
In parallel, DEEP utilized quantitative data from an impressive 174,730 mainstream news media sources. This robust dataset was compiled from cyber media reports, print publications, and electronic broadcasts. All news articles, features, and opinions were carefully curated through verified online media databases, transcripts of electronic news broadcasts, and traditional print media clippings, ensuring thorough coverage of established narratives.
Summary
The Democracy and Electoral Empowerment Partnership (DEEP) has unveiled research revealing a significant disparity in the perception of the incoming Prabowo-Gibran administration throughout 2025. Mainstream media coverage generally exhibited positive sentiment, contrasting sharply with predominantly critical discourse found on social media platforms. This imbalance is attributed to the inherent editorial processes in mainstream media, which moderate reporting, versus the unfiltered nature of online public expression.
On social media, citizens freely express dissatisfaction over issues such as the TNI law revision, the “fat coalition,” and concerns about declining civil liberties, with algorithms amplifying these sentiments. Conversely, positive narratives stemmed from Prabowo’s high-profile international engagements, including his address at the United Nations and participation in the Gaza Summit. DEEP’s study utilized quantitative data from five prominent social media platforms and over 174,000 mainstream news sources to map these dynamics.
