<![CDATA[This study aims to analyze how Surabaya residents interpret the political image of Eri Cahyadi and Armuji in news coverage related to the management of issues involving mass organizations (ormas) disseminated through social media during the period of August-September 2025. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research applies reception analysis based on Stuart Hall’s encoding-decoding model to examine audience meaning-making positions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation with ten informants selected using purposive sampling, namely Surabaya residents who actively followed the development of the issue on TikTok and Instagram. The findings indicate that informants’ reception is distributed across three positions: dominant-hegemonic, negotiated, and oppositional. In relation to Eri Cahyadi, a number of informants interpret his actions as reflecting firm leadership and policy responsibility in handling ormas-related issues, while others adopt more negotiated or oppositional stances by questioning the effectiveness and consistency of policy implementation experienced in everyday life. In the case of Armuji, most informants perceive him as a responsive political figure who maintains close contact with citizens through direct presence in the field, although some still highlight the need for greater caution in public communication. These results demonstrate that the political images of local leaders are not formed solely by governmental communication strategies but also shaped through active audience interpretation influenced by personal experiences, social background, and patterns of social media exposure.]]>
