Data journalism in political reporting: The case of the 2019 Indonesian Elections

Processing raw data into something meaningful for readers has created a new field in the journalism profession known as data journalism. Relying on data can increase the objectivity of the news and ensure readers' trust in the media, participation in information production, and media involvement in the democratic process. In the era of big data, it is important to know how news sites publishing on digital media platforms objectively use data journalism. This study examines the extent to which political news in digital media that apply data journalism in covering political events in the 2019 Presidential Election in Indonesia have objectivity. This study is a qualitative study that uses data from the most followed online news Tirto.id and Katadata.co.id in Indonesia, as well as interviews with their managers. A total of 36 news published from August 2018 to July 2019 have been analyzed gradually at the micro (text), meso (social cognition), and macro (social analysis) levels according to the Critical Discourse Analysis method of Teun A. van Dijk model. The results show that data journalism techniques do not meet objectivity standards in covering political events. Combining data with news text makes the readability of news complicated. News that is very long and complex does not suit the needs of the general public who need news that is objective and easy to understand. This study suggests the need for further research that includes media coverage, public perceptions, and government policies related to the application of data journalism to report political events. Research with a broader scope is expected to find solutions to realize a digital media reporting model that has objective standards, easy to understand, and beneficial to the public in countries that develop democracy.