Purpose This study investigates the role of social media in shaping protest dynamics during the Indonesian demonstrations of August 2025 by integrating framing theory and agenda-setting theory. Few studies have combined these perspectives, making this research a theoretically significant contribution. Design/methodology/approach Triggered by public outrage over a Rp50 million monthly housing allowance for legislators and intensified by the death of a ride-hailing driver, the protests marked one of the largest waves of contention since Reformasi. Using content analysis and cross-media comparison, the study examines how activists, labor unions, religious organizations, and citizens articulated diagnostic, prognostic and motivational frames, while hashtags such as #BubarkanDPR, #PotongPrivilege, #JusticeForAffan and #SaveDemocracy functioned as agenda-setting devices. Findings Results show that social media facilitated decentralized mobilization, transformed fragmented grievances into cohesive reform agendas and pressured mainstream media and government institutions to respond. Originality/value The study demonstrates how framing and agenda-setting intersect within hybrid media ecologies, amplifying protest legitimacy and exposing fragile democratic accountability. It provides a novel theoretical lens for understanding the interplay between digital platforms and political contention in emerging democracies.
Abdurrahman Abdurrahman (2026) studied this question.