<![CDATA[This study examines how truth is constructed in citizen journalism and professional media through a comparative analysis of two events in West Java, Indonesia: a food poisoning incident associated with the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program and a leopard found in a Bandung hotel. Using a descriptive qualitative design, the study analyzes 12 news items, comprising six Instagram posts from citizen-journalism accounts and six online news articles from professional media outlets. Data were collected through content observation, in-depth interviews with professional journalists, citizen journalists, and news readers, and an examination of audience comments. The analysis focused on news structure, language style, source balance, completeness, factual verification, ethical standards, and audience reactions. The findings indicate that professional media reports generally provide more complete news structures, attributed claims, and a broader range of sources, whereas citizen-journalism posts circulate rapidly and rely more heavily on eyewitness accounts and emotionally oriented narratives. Comments on one citizen-journalism account predominantly expressed empathy, concern, and moral appeals, although some reflected misunderstandings. These findings suggest that truth construction is shaped by different production routines, verification practices, and modes of presentation. However, the findings are limited to the selected cases and do not establish general differences across all media organizations or audience groups.]]>
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