DEPOK,
The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Indonesia (FISIP UI) has again graduated excellent academics in the field of communication. Niki Charles Laoh officially earned the 155th Doctor of Communication Science degree after defending his dissertation in a doctoral promotion session held in a hybrid manner on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 13.30-15.30 WIB at the Juwono Sudarsono Auditorium (AJS), FISIP UI Depok Campus.
The session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Semiarto Aji Purwanto. The promoter team consisted of Dr. Hendriyani and Dr. Eriyanto, and the board of examiners included Prof. Dr. Firman Noor, Prof. Dr. Donna Asteria, Dr. Nina Mutmainnah, Dr. Camelia Catharina L.S., and Dr. Niken Febrina.
Niki’s dissertation is titled “Reversed Agenda Setting and News Production in the Social Media Era: CNNIndonesia.com Case Study.” This research highlights how the mainstream media no longer holds full dominance in determining public issues, but also receives influence from the dynamics of conversations that develop on social media.
“The main product of agenda setting today has changed from before that the media tells the public what to think, but now the media is informed by the public what the media should think,” said Niki in her academic speech. She emphasized that the relationship between the media and the public is now two-way, no longer hierarchical as in the classic agenda setting paradigm.
However, Niki’s findings show that reversed agenda setting does not take place thoroughly and uniformly. This phenomenon only appears on a certain subset of issues, namely issues that appear simultaneously on social media and mainstream media.
“Reversed agenda setting is selective and does not apply in all cases. Statistically, there is a significant correlation between the social media agenda and the mainstream media agenda on a certain subset of issues when the issue simultaneously appears in both media,” he explained.
With a qualitative approach and a case study on CNNIndonesia.com, this dissertation not only makes a theoretical contribution to the development of agenda setting theory, but also offers practical insights for newsrooms amidst the pressure of algorithmic logic and the demands of public engagement.
Niki’s success strengthens the position of the Graduate Program of Communication Science FISIP UI as one of the centers of excellence for media studies and digital journalism in Indonesia. She graduated with satisfactory results and was warmly welcomed by the academic community present. (MAP)
