Euphemism in Indonesian Online Political Media Discourse: Referents, Social Status, and Communicative Functions
Abstract
This study investigates the use of euphemisms in online political news, focusing on three main aspects: (1) the types of referents used, (2) the relationship between the social status of the reported actors and the euphemistic references, and (3) the communicative functions of euphemisms in political discourse. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the data were drawn from political news published between 1–31 January 2025 in four Indonesian online media outlets: Tirto.id, Tempo, CNN Indonesia, and Detik.com. The data were collected through reading and note-taking, coded, and analyzed based on referents, social status, and communicative functions, with validity ensured through data and theoretical triangulation. The findings show that euphemisms most frequently refer to activities (50%) and conditions (37.2%), indicating their role in softening actions and framing political situations. The social status of the actors influences referent selection: state officials often appear with euphemisms that mitigate criticism of actions and policies, politicians use euphemisms related to political maneuvering, and ordinary citizens are framed through euphemisms invoking social sympathy. Overall, euphemisms function primarily to attenuate negative meanings, shape public perception, and construct positive images of political actors and institutions.
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