Helmi Hasan's Public Leadership in Budget Efficiency: A Semiotic Analysis of News Media Coverage in Bengkulu
Keywords:
Public Leadership, Budget Efficiency, Semiotics, Media, Helmi HasanAbstract
This study aims to analyze how the public leadership style of Governor Helmi Hasan is represented in the context of budget efficiency policies through local media coverage in Bengkulu. Amid national policies that encourage fiscal efficiency, Bengkulu Province is an example of a region that implements budget savings without neglecting development. This study uses a qualitative approach with Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis method, which divides the meaning of signs into three levels: denotative, connotative, and myth. Data were collected through purposive sampling techniques from three local online media news items that explicitly discussed budget efficiency policies and Helmi Hasan's symbolic actions, such as the implementation of joint open houses and support for President Prabowo Subianto's policies. The results showed that the media not only conveyed information, but also constructed meaning about Helmi Hasan's leadership. At the denotative level, he was presented as a leader who implemented budget efficiency without hindering development. At the connotative level, he was portrayed as a strategic, thrifty, and pro-people leader. Meanwhile, at the mythical level, the media shaped the perception that Helmi Hasan was an ideal leader figure who was efficient, nationalist, and humanist. The conclusion of this study shows that the media plays a role in shaping the image and public perception of political figures through narrative and symbols. This representation reflects the idealized style of public leadership in the current socio-political context
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