MANAJEMEN MEDIA RELATIONS DALAM SITUASI KRISIS: PERAN FORUM WARTAWAN DALAM MENJAGA SENTIMEN PUBLIK BUMD - Hendri Hendri; Dewi Anggraini; Elserra Siemin Ciamas; Anggia Arif; Mega Sanjaya (Smart Education, 2026)
Abstract: This study investigates the strategic management of media relations by Public Relations (PR) practitioners in Badan Usaha Milik Daerah (BUMD) during operational crises, focusing specifically on the pivotal role of Forum Wartawan Tirtanadi (Forwadi) in shaping and sustaining public sentiment. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach grounded in Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), primary data were gathered through structured, in-depth interviews with PR executives, operational leaders, and media partners at PDAM Tirtanadi Medan. The study addresses the critical challenge of information fragmentation and public anxiety stemming from service disruptions. Findings demonstrate that PDAM Tirtanadi mitigates negative public sentiment through a multi-tiered media relations strategy: executing rapid field-data verification, establishing transparent digital communication hubs via specialized journalist forums, and leveraging local community networks alongside broadcast media. The integration of structured media partnerships with empirical, photo-documented field reporting significantly diminishes public skepticism and stabilizes organizational trust during critical service outages. The research underscores the imperative for continuous crisis communication training and real-time digital integration between field operations and PR departments in public service enterprises. Keywords: Media Relations, Crisis Communication, Forum Wartawan, Public Sentiment, BUMD, SCCT Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menginvestigasi secara mendalam manajemen media relations yang dijalankan oleh Public Relations (PR) Badan Usaha Milik Daerah (BUMD) dalam situasi krisis operasional, dengan fokus utama pada peran strategis Forum Wartawan Tirtanadi (Forwadi) dalam mengelola dan menjaga sentimen publik. Menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif yang dilandasi kerangka Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), data primer dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam terstruktur bersama praktisi PR, pimpinan unit operasional, serta jurnalis mitra di PDAM Tirtanadi Medan. Penelitian ini menyoroti tantangan utama berupa fragmentasi informasi dan keresahan publik akibat gangguan distribusi air. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa PDAM Tirtanadi meredam sentimen negatif publik melalui strategi media relations bertingkat: verifikasi data teknis lapangan secara cepat, pembentukan pusat komunikasi digital yang transparan melalui forum wartawan khusus, serta pemanfaatan jejaring komunitas lokal dan media penyiaran. Integrasi antara kemitraan media yang terstruktur dan pelaporan berbasis bukti faktual di lapangan terbukti secara signifikan menekan spekulasi publik dan memulihkan kepercayaan terhadap BUMD. Studi ini menyimpulkan pentingnya pelatihan komunikasi krisis secara berkelanjutan serta integrasi data real-time antara tim operasional dan tim PR pada BUMD pelayanan publik. Kata kunci: Media Relations, Krisis Komunikasi, Forum Wartawan, Sentimen Publik, BUMD, SCCT