Gatekeeping dan Netralitas Jurnalisme Online dalam Pemberitaan Kotak Kosong Pilkada Makassar 2018

Ibnu Munsir (Hasanuddin University)
Alem Febri Sonni (Hasanuddin University)
Muliadi Mau (Hasanuddin University)

Jurnal Komunikasi dan Organisasi (J-KO)
Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026): AGUSTUS

This article examines digital gatekeeping and journalistic neutrality in Detik.com’s coverage of the "empty box" victory in the 2018 Makassar mayoral election. The study employs a qualitative case study design, utilizing data obtained through directed interviews with two Detik.com journalists/editors, editorial workflow records, electoral documents, and relevant academic literature. Data were analyzed through data reduction, thematic grouping, cross-informant comparison, and interpretation using a gatekeeping perspective. Findings indicate that news production occurs through a multi-layered editorial process comprising field reporting, news writing, editorial verification, additional editorial review, and publication via a content management system. Journalistic neutrality is upheld through cross-verification, source balance, the use of credible and competent sources, and two to three layers of editorial screening. The findings also reveal that procedural balance alone is insufficient in asymmetrical electoral contests, as formal candidates and empty-box supporters lack equal institutional structures and media access. Informants interpreted the empty-box victory as an expression of electoral rejection linked to candidate disqualification, political disillusionment, and supporter mobilization, without assuming uniform motivations among all voters. Theoretically, this study demonstrates that digital gatekeeping integrates two interrelated functions: a procedural function involving the selection and verification of information, and an interpretive function involving the placement of electoral facts within an appropriate political context. Practically, these findings imply that online electoral journalism must combine speed, verification, source balance, evidence assessment, and contextual explanation to strengthen media credibility and the quality of democratic information in single-candidate elections. This contribution is particularly relevant when media outlets face disparities in political representation and source access, alongside the pressure for speed in digital electoral news production.