Media coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues in Indonesia is often framed in terms of morality, religion, and social order, thereby shaping specific representations of sexual minority groups. This study aims to analyze how Kompas.com and Detik.com constructed morality in their coverage of an alleged indecent act between two male students at the Jakarta State Polytechnic (PNJ) in early June 2026, and to interpret the results of that construction using Edward Said’s postcolonial perspective. This study employs a qualitative approach using Robert N. Entman’s framing analysis method to examine eight news articles published by both media outlets between June 2 and 8, 2026. The results show that Detik.com framed the case as a violation of campus norms and regulations by emphasizing the chronology of events, institutional responses, and compliance with rules, thereby reinforcing the perpetrators’ position as deviants from the dominant morality (the Other). In contrast, Kompas.com framed the case more reflectively by presenting the views of academics who highlighted justice, consistency in the application of rules, the ethics of handling the case, and the potential for discrimination against sexual minority groups. From Said’s postcolonial perspective, both media outlets reproduced a moral discourse that limits space for non-heterosexual identities, albeit with varying degrees of criticism.
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