Between science, religion, and politics: multi-layered communication responses to maritime disaster in Indonesia

Abstract

This article aims to analyze multi-layered communication responses to maritime disasters in Indonesia using two significant cases, namely the tidal flooding in Semarang and the tsunami in Banda Aceh. Reducing the risk of disaster is not only a technical matter but also strongly associated with communication issues. Therefore, there has been much research into disaster communication. However, research on multi-layered communication responses to diverse disasters must still be done. Data were collected through interviews with the people, journalists, and government officials in Semarang and Banda Aceh. These data were complemented by field observations and reviews of local media news and government policies. The results show that communication response in the two regions involved a complex triangle of science, religion, and politics. This means that the community, media, and government of these regions communicated these two types of disasters as involving science, religion, and politics to varying degrees. This article also finds that the local media was unable to optimally play its central role as an intermediary actor in disaster communication in the two regions.

Keywords:

• Multi-layered
• communication
• maritime
• disaster
• Indonesia

Acknowledgments

This article is the result of research funded by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, in 2018.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hermin Indah Wahyuni

Hermin Indah Wahyuni is a senior researcher at the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) and a professor at the Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University. Her research focus covers political communication, media policy, ecological communication, Systems Theory, and Southeast Asian studies.

Muhammad Rum

Muhammad Rum is an assistant professor in the Department of International Relations at the Universitas Gadjah Mada. His research focuses on ASEAN, regionalism, and international cooperation studies.

Theresia Octastefani

Theresia Octastefani is an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and Government at the Universitas Gajah Mada and a doctoral student in Asia-Pacific Regional Studies at the National Dong Hwa University Taiwan. Her research focuses on public policy, environmental politics, and regional development.

Andi Awaluddin Fitrah

Andi Awaluddin Fitrah is a researcher at the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (CESASS) at Universitas Gadjah Mada. His research focuses on ecological communication, digital & mass media, and the social problem of the digital divide.