Mass Media and Public Policy: Public Perception of Street Vendors in the Media

Abstract

The financial crisis in 1997 and the arrival of reform era in Indonesia has made Surakarta city a city of street vendors. The street vendors exist throughout the city and cause many problems. The first direct election for local leaders in Indonesia inspired citizens to hope that the local governments would be to overcome the problems effectively, including in Surakarta. This article aims to examine the Surakarta citizens’ perceptions of the street vendors in Solopos daily, which is the main newspaper of the city. The research employed qualitative content analysis method. The data were taken through documentation. The results indicated that the public of Surakarta wanted street vendors need to be managed immediately. They wanted it to become the city’s priority agenda. The public perception, then, becomes an important source as well as a good support for the local government to run actions and formulate a proper policy in the form of street vendors management.