RESPONSE MAPPING FOR FUEL PRICE HIKE

RESULTS FOR IMMC’S MEDIA

MONITORING

1ST February 2012 – 13TH March 2012

www.immcnews.com

Background

• Looks like, controversy about restrictions on fuel subsidy and conversion from fuel to gas has become a door opener for the government to support the establishment of other options, namely to raise fuel’s price. After much consideration, the government divided to raise the fuel price as of 1st April 2012. Various responses (supportive or rejection) appeared. Meanwhile, in many areas, cases of shortage and stockpiling fuel became common case.

• Marketplace also reacted. Prices, especially basic needs were slowly rising. In the midst of this situation, the government gives ‘the winds of heaven’ with bundle package of compensation through BLTS (Bantuan Langsung Tunai Sementara) and other schemes for the affected people. Except Partai Demokrat (PD), other political parties see this effort as a political campaign that only benefited both Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and PD.

• Research through media monitoring will capture the dynamics of the coverage about fuel price hike issues, tone of the coverage as well as those who actively speak in terms of fuels.

METHODOLOGY

• The study were conducted using purposive sampling method in

three leading online media, namely kompas.com,

rakyatmerdekaonline.com and mediaindonesia.com

• Data collection process was conducted from 1st February 2012 –

13th March 2012.

• Data collection techniques used are to collect and analyze all

news (content analysis) about fuel price hike issues during the

time period specified.

OVERVIEW

Total Coverage: 737

Fuel Coverage on Various Media

• There are several issues related to fuel reported by media. Among them are about the impact from fuel price hike, rejection for fuel price hike until matter regarding gas conversion.

• From monitoring results, of a total of 737 coverage, which discusses about the impact from fuel price hike has became the most covered issues by media, which is 24% from 934 existing issues about fuel.

• Meanwhile, coverage about fuel price rejection or support managed to get a portion of media coverage, respectively by 22% and 10%.

• The main discussion that are widely discussed in the media is the effect from fuel price hike, particularly in transportation matter, basic needs and social effect.

Coverage Dynamic

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Minggu I Minggu II Minggu III Minggu IV Minggu I Minggu II

Rakyat Merdeka online Kompas.com Media Indonesia.com

MARET FEBRUARI

Results

• Coverage regarding fuel price hike in three online media both increased in fourth week of February 2012 (A), in which most of the coverage are about the certainty in fuel price hike.

• This decision can be seen from Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (President of Indonesia) statement: “Fuel price hike are inevitable and should be adjusted accordingly and correctly.” (http://www.mediaindonesia.com/read/2012/02/22/300443/4/2/Dengan-Terpaksa-Presiden-Bolehkan-Harga-BBM-Naik- )

• Meanwhile, on the first week of March 2012 (B), the trend news coverage at mediaindonesia.com and kompas.com were both increased and the trend continued until the next weeks. (C).

• On first week of March 2012, coverage in media were mostly discussing about the effect of fuel price hike.

Effect from Fuel Price Hike

• As explained earlier, in the aspect of fuel price hike effects, there are three area that are quite affected by the decision. These areas are transportation, basic consumer needs and social areas.

• From the monitoring, price that has began to rise even though the policy has not yet been implemented, has become a major concern, in which there are 121 coverage appeared in various media.

• As for the transportation sector, the condition is not much different from the amount of coverage, as much as 72 coverage.

Findings

Coverage about fuel in kompas.com, most of them ran in negative tone (142 news). This fact is also shown in two other well known online media such as rakyatmerdekaonline.com (100 news) and mediaonlineindonesia.com (89 news). As for the neutral tone, the coverage tend not to make fuel as the object of the pros and cons, but only as an ordinary news. This trend is not seen in news with negative tone only, but also in the news with neutral or positive tone.

Coverage Position

Coverage about plans for fuel price hike in media such as Kompas and Media Indonesia have become the main focus. This is indicated by a fairly large number of coverage which puts the “Fuel Price Hike” as a headline. In Kompas.com, as many as 267 coverage put the word “BBM” as the main title on some news. As for mediaIndonesia.com, there are 178 coverage and 174 coverage in rakyatmerdekaonline.com

Pro-Cons BLTS on Media

The emergence of BLTS issues, has become one of the most interesting issues that often arise with the planning for fuel price hike. Most coverage about BLT in online media are usually more pros than cons. A total of 65 news about BLT are talking about pros, while 43 news talking about cons. From the monitoring this time, it appears that BLTS issues are mostly dominated by the government and that’s why most of the coverage about the policy tends to be on pros.

Top 10 Person Quote

• If seen from the comments and opinions expressed related to the fuel price hike, the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Jero Wacik is the one who make most of the comments in media. Wacik’s role in the media is much greater than Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Hatta Rajasa, Agus Martowardojo and his deputy, Widjajono Partowidagdo.

• From top 10 famous figures that make most comments or even have its’ opinion quoted, it appears that 6 of them came from the government. Then, followed by the observer, the state (in this case, Pertamina) and then the political parties. As for the public, students and private sector, they’re fewer in number.

Top 10 Politician Talking about Fuel

From politicians who appear in the coverage related to the policy of fuel price hike, the member from House of Representatives Commission VII from Golkar, Sayta W. Yudha, has made quite a lot of comment in the media. Golkar tend to be on pro about fuel price hike and also quite critical about BLTS compensation. This is also demonstrated by Golkar’s General Chairman, Aburizal Bakrie. Planning about fuel price hike has also made the General Chairman from three major political parties intervened. They are the General Chairman from Partai Demokrat, Anas Urbaningrum; General Chairman from PDIP, Megawati Soekarnoputri; and General Chairman from Golkar, Aburizal Bakrie.

Pro-Cons Regarding Fuel between Political Parties

Coverage about planning for fuel price hike has also involved the debates between political parties, both from supporting and opposition parties. PDIP is still the party with the harshest criticism in cons against the policy to raise fuel prices. On the contrary with PDIP, PD is the party which favors the policy to raise fuel price. In addition to the Partai Demokrat, Golkar was also quite supportive about this policy.

Pro-Cons from Instances’ Quote

• The government is quite strong on the pro against fuel price hike policy. This is evident from the frequency of the government speaking, as much as 257 times.

• Meanwhile from the observers, apparently they are still split in two between pros and cons. There are 77 times where they are pros with the policies for fuel price hike and 55 times, where the observer would counter the policy.

• As for political parties, most of them are on cons, which is 62 times. As for political parties, there are 48 times where the are pros. On the private sector, there tends to be a balance between the pros and cons.

• Group who purely resist the fuel price hike is only represented by the public and students, where the number itself is not that large compared to the government, observers and political parties.

Conclusion

• From three media observed, there is a tendency to follow a coverage trend based on a scheme from the government. It occurs almost throughout February 2012. But after entering March 2012, the media tend to cover about rejection and the effect from the price hike in an increased portion cause of escalated demonstration from students and worker that occurred in almost all regions.

• Seeing the existing coverage dynamics, it appears that the government has successfully conditioned to the public that fuel price hike is a must amid of skyrocketing oil prices and the ballooning fuel subsidy to be borne by our country. This is shown through opinion convoy on the option that is almost impossible to realized in the near future, namely the conversion from fuel to gas and restriction for subsidized fuel for private vehicles, so there is a strong opinion from politicians, private sector, the observer and the community, that it would be best to agreeing the fuel price hike. Here, the government seemed to get the legitimacy that the option for fuel price hike comes from the public.

• As the coverage about fuel price hike is more dominant, the plan to convert fuel to gas that was so strong before, even became the main issues, after entering March 2012, this issues are almost gone from media coverage, even though there is a statement from the government that they will still go with their plan in conversion as a program of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.