Abstract

This research note analyses the rising importance of political advertisements on television in Indonesian electoral politics. It surveys the ways in which presidential candidates presented themselves to the public during the 2009 elections, as well as the candidates’ efforts in cultivating an appealing image for mass consumption. This note concludes that political advertising outperformed print and radio media, and that candidates were likely to construct public images of themselves with traits like nationalism and empathy for the poor in order to attract voters.

pdf

Share