Gender, media, and populism: The vilification of first lady Ani Yudhoyono in the Indonesian online news media

Abstract

<p>Women in politics invariably attract heightened levels of attention due to their marked difference from the masculine political norm. With the rise of social media and online news, political women can achieve visibility, but also experience more intense scrutiny. Former first lady, Ani Yudhoyono, became an iconic figure in the lead-up to the 2014 Indonesian presidential election, through association with her husband's flailing presidency and as a high-profile political woman on social media. Using critical discourse analysis, specifically social actor analysis, this paper examines the discursive strategies deployed by the mainstream Indonesian online news media to malign Ani Yudhoyono and draw a wedge between her and the Indonesian public, in turn undermining her husband's presidency. The analysis highlights the role of online news media discourse in shaping power relations and ideological groupings, as well as the role of first lady as an enduring source of political contestation.</p>