Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

The upcoming 2019 Presidential Election in Indonesia will involve unprecedented young voter participation accounting for 35-40% of the total voters, which approximately translates into 70-80 million based on the data from the Indonesian General Election Committee (KPU). This means that young people will be one of the most critical determinants of the output of the election. Observing this importance, it is inevitable that young voters are targeted selectively by the incumbent for securing a second term. This study investigates the discourses of the incumbent’s communication to the public on several occasions during the first term of office and draws on the analysis to compare the youth policy agenda that is being offered. In this way, the study concludes whether the incumbent’s political communication is policy-driven or just an attempt to attract young voters for the upcoming election.