Proceedings of the Borobudur Conference on Public Administration (BCPA 2025)

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Framing Popular Culture Protest: Analyzing International Media Coverage of the One Piece Jolly Roger Flag in Indonesia

Authors
Afrizal Fajri1, *, Moehammad Bintang Aimar Andika1, Muhammad Hajran Lillah1
1Department of International Relations, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
*Corresponding author. Email: afrizalfajri@staff.uns.ac.id
Corresponding Author
Afrizal Fajri
Available Online 24 December 2025.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-517-1_26How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Framing; Jolly Roger Flag; Popular Culture; Freedom of Expression; Indonesia
Abstract

This study analyzes international media framing of the Jolly Roger flag controversy in Indonesia, a case that reveals the intersection of popular culture, political expression, and democratic contestation. Using Entman’s framing theory and a qualitative content analysis of reports from International News Media, the study identifies how global outlets constructed meanings around the event. The results show that international media predominantly framed the incident as a manifestation of state censorship and democratic backsliding, portraying the Indonesian government as the main causal actor through narratives of overregulation, securitization, and moral control. The Jolly Roger symbol was interpreted as a creative and moral protest by the younger generation, reflecting broader anxieties over civic freedom and identity. The findings suggest that popular culture can serve as a new moral language of democratic critique, and that restoring dialogue, legal reform, and civic education is essential for sustaining interpretive pluralism in Indonesia’s democracy.

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Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the Borobudur Conference on Public Administration (BCPA 2025)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
24 December 2025
ISBN
978-2-38476-517-1
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-517-1_26How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Afrizal Fajri
AU  - Moehammad Bintang Aimar Andika
AU  - Muhammad Hajran Lillah
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/24
TI  - Framing Popular Culture Protest: Analyzing International Media Coverage of the One Piece Jolly Roger Flag in Indonesia
BT  - Proceedings of the Borobudur Conference on Public Administration (BCPA 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 315
EP  - 327
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-517-1_26
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-517-1_26
ID  - Fajri2025
ER  -