Looks like, controversy about restrictions on fuel subsidy and conversion from fuel to gas has become a door opener for the government to support the establishment of other options, namely to raise fuel’s price. After much consideration, the government divided to raise the fuel price as of 1st April 2012. Various responses (supportive or rejection) appeared. Meanwhile, in many areas, cases of shortage and stockpiling fuel became common case. Marketplace also reacted. Prices, especially basic needs were slowly rising. In the midst of this situation, the government gives ‘the winds of heaven’ with bundle package of compensation through BLTS (Bantuan Langsung Tunai Sementara) and other schemes for the affected people. Except Partai Demokrat (PD), other political parties see this effort as a political campaign that only benefited both Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and PD. Research through media monitoring will capture the dynamics of the coverage about fuel price hike issues, tone of the coverage as well as those who actively speak in terms of fuels.

1. RESPONSE MAPPING FOR FUEL PRICE HIKE

2. RESULTS FOR IMMC’S MEDIA
MONITORING
1ST February 2012 – 13TH March 2012
www.immcnews.com

3. Background
•
•
•
Looks like, controversy about restrictions on fuel subsidy and conversion from fuel
to gas has become a door opener for the government to support the
establishment of other options, namely to raise fuel’s price. After much
consideration, the government divided to raise the fuel price as of 1st April 2012.
Various responses (supportive or rejection) appeared. Meanwhile, in many areas,
cases of shortage and stockpiling fuel became common case.
Marketplace also reacted. Prices, especially basic needs were slowly rising. In the
midst of this situation, the government gives ‘the winds of heaven’ with bundle
package of compensation through BLTS (Bantuan Langsung Tunai Sementara) and
other schemes for the affected people. Except Partai Demokrat (PD), other political
parties see this effort as a political campaign that only benefited both Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and PD.
Research through media monitoring will capture the dynamics of the coverage
about fuel price hike issues, tone of the coverage as well as those who actively
speak in terms of fuels.

4. METHODOLOGY
• The study were conducted using purposive sampling method in
three
leading
online
media,
namely
kompas.com,
rakyatmerdekaonline.com and mediaindonesia.com
• Data collection process was conducted from 1st February 2012 –
13th March 2012.
• Data collection techniques used are to collect and analyze all
news (content analysis) about fuel price hike issues during the
time period specified.

5. OVERVIEW
Total Coverage: 737

6. Fuel Coverage on Various Media
•
•
•
•
There are several issues related to fuel reported by
media. Among them are about the impact from
fuel price hike, rejection for fuel price hike until
matter regarding gas conversion.
From monitoring results, of a total of 737
coverage, which discusses about the impact from
fuel price hike has became the most covered
issues by media, which is 24% from 934 existing
issues about fuel.
Meanwhile, coverage about fuel price rejection or
support managed to get a portion of media
coverage, respectively by 22% and 10%.
The main discussion that are widely discussed in
the media is the effect from fuel price hike,
particularly in transportation matter, basic needs
and social effect.

7. Coverage Dynamic
300
FEBRUARI
MARET
250
200
150
100
50
0
Minggu I
Minggu II
Rakyat Merdeka online
Minggu III
Kompas.com
Minggu IV
Minggu I
Media Indonesia.com
Minggu II

8. Results
• Coverage regarding fuel price hike in three online media both increased in
fourth week of February 2012 (A), in which most of the coverage are
about the certainty in fuel price hike.
• This decision can be seen from Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (President of
Indonesia) statement: “Fuel price hike are inevitable and should be
adjusted
accordingly
and
correctly.”
(http://www.mediaindonesia.com/read/2012/02/22/300443/4/2/DenganTerpaksa-Presiden-Bolehkan-Harga-BBM-Naik- )
• Meanwhile, on the first week of March 2012 (B), the trend news coverage
at mediaindonesia.com and kompas.com were both increased and the
trend continued until the next weeks. (C).
• On first week of March 2012, coverage in media were mostly discussing
about the effect of fuel price hike.

9. Effect from Fuel Price Hike
• As explained earlier, in the aspect of fuel price
hike effects, there are three area that are quite
affected by the decision. These areas are
transportation, basic consumer needs and social
areas.
• From the monitoring, price that has began to rise
even though the policy has not yet been
implemented, has become a major concern, in
which there are 121 coverage appeared in various
media.
• As for the transportation sector, the condition is
not much different from the amount of coverage,
as much as 72 coverage.

10. Findings
Coverage about fuel in kompas.com, most of
them ran in negative tone (142 news). This
fact is also shown in two other well known
online media such as
rakyatmerdekaonline.com (100 news) and
mediaonlineindonesia.com (89 news).
As for the neutral tone, the coverage tend not
to make fuel as the object of the pros and
cons, but only as an ordinary news.
This trend is not seen in news with negative
tone only, but also in the news with neutral or
positive tone.

11. Coverage Position
Coverage about plans for fuel price hike in
media such as Kompas and Media Indonesia
have become the main focus. This is
indicated by a fairly large number of
coverage which puts the “Fuel Price Hike” as
a headline.
In Kompas.com, as many as 267 coverage
put the word “BBM” as the main title on
some news. As for mediaIndonesia.com,
there are 178 coverage and 174 coverage in
rakyatmerdekaonline.com

12. Pro-Cons BLTS on Media
The emergence of BLTS issues, has become one
of the most interesting issues that often arise
with the planning for fuel price hike.
Most coverage about BLT in online media are
usually more pros than cons. A total of 65 news
about BLT are talking about pros, while 43 news
talking about cons.
From the monitoring this time, it appears that
BLTS issues are mostly dominated by the
government and that’s why most of the coverage
about the policy tends to be on pros.

13. Top 10 Person Quote
•
If seen from the comments and opinions
expressed related to the fuel price hike, the
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister,
Jero Wacik is the one who make most of
the comments in media. Wacik’s role in the
media is much greater than Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, Hatta Rajasa, Agus
Martowardojo and his deputy, Widjajono
Partowidagdo.
•
From top 10 famous figures that make
most comments or even have its’ opinion
quoted, it appears that 6 of them came
from the government. Then, followed by
the observer, the state (in this case,
Pertamina) and then the political parties.
As for the public, students and private
sector, they’re fewer in number.

14. Top 10 Politician Talking about Fuel
From politicians who appear in the coverage
related to the policy of fuel price hike, the
member from House of Representatives
Commission VII from Golkar, Sayta W. Yudha,
has made quite a lot of comment in the
media. Golkar tend to be on pro about fuel
price hike and also quite critical about BLTS
compensation. This is also demonstrated by
Golkar’s General Chairman, Aburizal Bakrie.
Planning about fuel price hike has also made
the General Chairman from three major
political parties intervened. They are the
General Chairman from Partai Demokrat, Anas
Urbaningrum; General Chairman from PDIP,
Megawati Soekarnoputri; and General
Chairman from Golkar, Aburizal Bakrie.

15. Pro-Cons Regarding Fuel
between Political Parties
Coverage about planning for fuel price hike has
also involved the debates between political
parties, both from supporting and opposition
parties.
PDIP is still the party with the harshest criticism
in cons against the policy to raise fuel prices.
On the contrary with PDIP, PD is the party which
favors the policy to raise fuel price. In addition
to the Partai Demokrat, Golkar was also quite
supportive about this policy.

16. Pro-Cons from Instances’ Quote
•
The government is quite strong on the pro against fuel
price hike policy. This is evident from the frequency of
the government speaking, as much as 257 times.
•
Meanwhile from the observers, apparently they are still
split in two between pros and cons. There are 77 times
where they are pros with the policies for fuel price hike
and 55 times, where the observer would counter the
policy.
•
As for political parties, most of them are on cons, which
is 62 times. As for political parties, there are 48 times
where the are pros. On the private sector, there tends to
be a balance between the pros and cons.
•
Group who purely resist the fuel price hike is only
represented by the public and students, where the
number itself is not that large compared to the
government, observers and political parties.

17. Conclusion
•
•
•
From three media observed, there is a tendency to follow a coverage trend based on a
scheme from the government. It occurs almost throughout February 2012. But after entering
March 2012, the media tend to cover about rejection and the effect from the price hike in an
increased portion cause of escalated demonstration from students and worker that occurred
in almost all regions.
Seeing the existing coverage dynamics, it appears that the government has successfully
conditioned to the public that fuel price hike is a must amid of skyrocketing oil prices and the
ballooning fuel subsidy to be borne by our country. This is shown through opinion convoy on
the option that is almost impossible to realized in the near future, namely the conversion
from fuel to gas and restriction for subsidized fuel for private vehicles, so there is a strong
opinion from politicians, private sector, the observer and the community, that it would be
best to agreeing the fuel price hike. Here, the government seemed to get the legitimacy that
the option for fuel price hike comes from the public.
As the coverage about fuel price hike is more dominant, the plan to convert fuel to gas that
was so strong before, even became the main issues, after entering March 2012, this issues
are almost gone from media coverage, even though there is a statement from the
government that they will still go with their plan in conversion as a program of the Ministry of
Energy and Mineral Resources.