Understanding Indonesian Mediapolis: The Role of Social Media during the 2014 Indonesia's Presidential Election

This research scrutinized the use of social media during the 2014 presidential election in Indonesia. In particular it analyzed their role to empower democracy due to their capacity to encourage the constituents to engage in public debates on political issues and to make informed voting decisions. Incorporating theories on mediapolis, celebrity, and intermedia agenda setting as well as employing content analysis as analytical tools, it explored the coexistence and interactions of social media, celebrity, and traditional media power in the election and how such accounts had implications on the capacity of social media to empower democracy in the country.