The internet, social media, and political outsiders in post Suharto Indonesia: A case study of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama

This thesis investigates the role of social media in political communication in Post-Suharto Indonesia by focusing on the rise and fall of the former Chinese Christian Governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. This thesis employs a mixed-method design of textual analysis, participant observation, and content analysis from three campaign periods. Through this triangulation of methods, this thesis shows that while social media increases the plurality and diversity of the public sphere, it can also contribute to the reproduction of the conditions that perpetuate inequality and dominance, especially when the function of electoral democracy is distorted by political populism.