Uncertainty Reduction in the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election: A Narrative Review of Political Communication Trend
Abstract
Indonesia’s electoral landscape often faces controversy and allegations of irregularities that lead to uncertainty among citizens. Ruminating from the 2017 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election which is considered the worst-case election in Indonesian political history because of many issues and incidents related to race, religion, and ethnicity that created a polarized and fragmented society, dismissed the national identity, and threatened the socio-political stability of the nation. Thus, we elaborate on political communication strategies implemented by political parties and government institutions during the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election to emphasize how communication influences individuals’ behaviours throughout human interactions to reduce uncertainty during the campaigns. Uncertainty Reduction Theory is used as a fundamental framework to explain how organizations should modify their communication methods to refrain from any potential threats. Drawing on a narrative review of 30 research articles subject from 2023–2025 regarding the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election, the results emphasize the utilization of digital media platforms for developing interpersonal relationships between all parties and voters during political campaigns. Results also divulge the digital primacy of social media and hybridization strategies become the central bridgehead for political communication that indicate sustained growth of digital political communication trend in Indonesia that marked a significant turning point in the role of digital media in shaping political narratives and voters’ engagement. This study also underlines the adaptation of theoretical basis to practically design and evaluate communication campaigns, specifically uncertainty reduction theory (URT), which can provide succour to manage uncertainty among voters at times of political years.
Keywords: Political communication, uncertainty reduction, interpersonal relationship, identity politicization, digital communication.
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