Resonance of Local News Media Regarding Water Pollution Management In Yogyakarta Regency: A Review

Abstract

Yogyakarta faces challenges in maintaining water quality due to the presence of pollutants E.coli as a resulting dominant bacteria. The information provided by the media is easily understood when it is based on the needs of the community. The emergence of various local news media outlets becomes a solution to address the existing issues in society. The local news media in Yogyakarta has not yet made a significant impact on the environment, particularly in water resource management, as evidenced by the numerous complaints from the community regarding water quality. Primary data of this research is gained through qualitative content analysis and in-depth interviews with journalists of local news media outlets in Yogyakarta, namely harianjogja.com, krjogja.com, and tribunjogja.com, and twelve journal articles in the period from 2019 to 2023. The findings are Harian Jogja, Tribun Jogja, and Kedaulatan Rakyat, demonstrate insufficient resonance in their coverage of water source pollution management. This is evident through several factors: limited frequency of news coverage, absence of dedicated desks within the editorial teams, lack of specific sections dedicated to environmental topics, low traffic generated by related news articles, and a lack of specific attention from editors regarding water pollution management in terms of assignment and environmental education for journalists. The majority of news articles written by journalists in this context predominantly fall into the informative category, accounting for 71% of the coverage. In contrast, articles categorized as educational or solution-oriented are minimal. The findings of this research endeavor aim to contribute academically to the field of water pollution management by emphasizing the need to optimize the utilization of local news media in Yogyakarta.