Narratives about Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage in Indonesian Media

The next speaker in this session at IAMCR 2024 is Mia Angeline, who continues the theme of the arming of Ukrainian cultural heritage from the perspective of Indonesian media. Indonesia is a rising, non-aligned power in the Global South, and has a growing influence in global fora. Its historical experiences have influenced this non-alignment, and its vibrant and diverse cultural heritages may increase its sympathy for the cultural heritage concerns of other countries.

How do Indonesian media frame Ukranian cultural heritage in the context of the war, then? This might be understood in the context of agenda-setting (on salient issues) and image theory (on mutual perceptions between nations). Indonesian audiences are substantial users of online and social media, and this project focusses on content from major Indonesian outlets: the government-operated Antara, the centrist Kompas, and the leftist Tempo.

The intensity of the representation of Ukrainian heritage in 44 relevant articles from these outlets that the project analysed was high. Key themes here are culture, history, and heritage sites, emphasising the richness and resilience of Ukrainian culture. The emotional valence of such coverage is mostly positive or neutral to positive, indicating strong support for Ukraine’s attempts to safeguard its cultural heritage. Negative emotional coverage emphasised emotions like regret, sadness, concern, and pity.

Key themes of such coverage included cultural independence and national identity; international support and solidarity; destruction and preservation of heritage; and geopolitical and historical contexts. This points to the ability for such portrayals of Ukraine’s efforts to emphasise the symbolic and emotional importance of national identity, foster public sympathy, and support diplomatic and humanitarian efforts; sparse coverage also indicates a gap between media priorities and the public interest, however, and limits the opportunities for agenda-setting; and Ukraine is perhaps viewed as an ally deserving international solidarity. There is a surprising absence of local hooks in the Indonesian coverage of such matters, too.