RECONCEPTUALIZING THE COUNTRY FROM ITS PERIPHERIES: MEDIA TRANSFORMATION AND CULTURAL STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA’S BORDER AREAS

Abstract

This study explores the complex challenges and strategic possibilities of using media to strengthen nationalism in Indonesia’s border regions. By employing agenda-setting theory, the study examines the impact of media on public awareness in remote areas. The uses and gratifications theory illustrates how individuals in border communities engage with media based on their personal and collective needs. Nationalism theory highlights the formation and expression of national identity in these areas. Adopting a qualitative, descriptive approach within the national interest framework, the research relies on both primary and secondary data to investigate communication practices, media accessibility, and identity dynamics. The findings indicate that broadcast media acts as an important “window to the world,” offering perspectives beyond geographical limitations. However, the lack of local public and community media, along with the dominant presence of foreign broadcasts, has resulted in an imbalanced information environment. This imbalance threatens cultural preservation, fostering a disconnection from Indonesian values and potentially leading to fragmentation and weakened national unity. The implications underscore the need for reform in media policy and infrastructure enhancement, highlighting the critical need to support local broadcasting initiatives and improve media literacy. The study positions the media as a vital component in social regulation, civic education, and the cultivation of national values. Ultimately, this research emphasizes the urgent need for stakeholders, including policy makers media practitioners, and community leaders, to view media as custodians of information that can encourage resilience, unity, and cultural pride in Indonesia’s most vulnerable geographical and social areas.