Political Campaigns and Actor Populism Strategies

A Deontological Ethical Approach

Abstract

This study wants to see and explore how actors' political campaigns are carried out through populism strategies using an ethical communication approach. The use of populism strategies in Indonesia is increasing due to the strengthening of polarization in the political market mediated by political actors. The populism strategy carried out by actors in general uses disinformation narratives in the form of hoaxes and hate speech by using new media. The characteristics of new media that provide interaction patterns that can be accessed at any time have an impact on the division or polarization of voters in the political market. By using the literature study method, this research shows that the use of populism political strategies is carried out by political actors because voters still consume campaign content according to political choices based on previous election experiences. From the context of deontological moral ethics, the populism strategy of political actors using hoaxes and hate speech shows a violation of deontological moral ethics because it ignores the real moral goal of creating common good and happiness in the context of the state. The use of populist narratives not only destroys democracy but also threatens to erode the good values that have been internalized in a long history of coexistence in a multicultural society like Indonesia.