Discourse on Power Regarding Threats Against Female Journalists in Tempo.co Media Coverage

Abstract

Using Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework, this study examines how power discourse is constructed across textual structures, discursive practices, and socio-cultural practices in the case of threats against female journalists reported by Tempo.co. This research employs a descriptive qualitative method. The primary data sources consist of diction choices, sentence structures, metaphors, and news narratives extracted from reports published on Tempo.co between March and July 2025. Data collection was carried out through a documentary technique involving close reading and note-taking, while data analysis utilized Fairclough’s three-dimensional CDA framework. The findings reveal that: (1) At the textual structure level, power discourse is manifested through the use of resistance diction, a mix of active-passive sentence structures to shift the focus of aggression, and dehumanizing surveillance metaphors; (2) Discursive practices highlight a tactical news production process by the editorial team to construct political causal relationships, alongside fragmented text consumption split between the ideological resistance of digital readers and institutional support; (3) Socio-cultural practices reflect the influence of national political momentum surrounding the revision of the TNI Law, a legitimacy crisis within state apparatus institutions, and the strengthening of professional journalist alliances amidst a pervasive culture of impunity.