THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN SECURITIZING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC IN UNITED STATES
Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic status has brought changes not only to the health system, but also to
people's social behavior. Krings et.al (2021: 199) mentioned that the pandemic period has
posed a threat to people's behavior and attitudes. This condition is based on the policies taken
by most governments to place Covid-19 as a threat. The United States government is no
exception, which although initially only saw it as a health problem. However, in its
development it also places Covid-19 as a threat that requires emergency handling. The Covid-
19 pandemic itself has been positioned as a threat, especially at the individual human level
(Nurhasanah et al., 2020).
The position of the Covid-19 pandemic as a threat not only to health, but also to all
aspects of human life. This has led to efforts from various countries that are emergencies in
order to prevent its spread. United States is one of the countries that prioritizes the emergency
aspect which is reflected in various Covid-19 countermeasure policies, such as the
implementation of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB), the implementation of health
protocols and vaccination programs with the aim of changing people's behavior (Tifany,
2020). On the other hand, evidence of securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic can also be
seen from the aspect of United States foreign relations in the pandemic era (Arifin, 2020).
More specifically, Basundoro and Karunia (2021) compared the anatomy of securitization
that occurred in United States and Pakistan. For the United States government, securitization
is aimed at building a sense of crisis in the community so that various Covid-19
countermeasure policies aim to form community compliance without rejection which will be
reflected in changes in community behavior.
Efforts to build a sense of crisis will face serious challenges because prior to the
pandemic, public trust in government policies tended to be low as a result of the polarization
of society and political power after the 2019 election and the issue of corruption within the
government (Agustino, 2021: 64). Based on data from the Deep Knowledge Group (2020),
United States is ranked fourth in the group of countries as the worst group of countries in
handling crisis pandemic. This means that the public does not give legitimacy and trust to the
government and policies in handling the pandemic. Although, the facts show that the United
States government's policies in overcoming Covid-19 can be seen in four ways, namely
through promotive, preventive, curative strategies, and also through social assistance. The
success of this strategy requires an active role from the community (Mietzner, 2020).
Meanwhile, Wahidah et.al (2020) also see PSBB and a new way of life (new normal) that
requires public awareness to comply with these rules is also considered successful.
Based on this phenomenon, researchers believe that the securitization carried out by the
United States government against the Covid-19 pandemic is inseparable from other actors
who play a role. Researchers see that the mass media in the pandemic era plays a major role
in bridging the government as a securitizing actor and the public as an audience. This is
based on several studies on the link between the media and the securitization process. The
existence of the media has become an integral part of the securitization process, in addition to
opposition groups and judicial institutions (Watson, 2009). Traditional media (print and
television) and social media have tremendous power to shape public opinion in the context of
securitization (Vultee, 2011). Vultee (2007), Dolinec (2010), and Qadri (2020) in their
research pay attention to media involvement in securitization by looking at how terrorism is
framed in media coverage to be explained and organized as a threat. On the other hand,
Schafer et.al (2016) examined the trends of mass media reports in 9 countries regarding
securitization in environmental issues, especially related to climate change. Meanwhile,
Gaufman (2015) explained that the role of Russian media related to the threat of fascism was
a legitimization for Russia to get involved in the crisis in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Hass (2009)
sees the media and securitization or de-securitization in conflict conditions through the ability
to build public opinion through the information it conveys.
Based on the explanation of the phenomenon of Covid-19 securitization in United
States and the involvement of the mass media in the securitization process of issues other
than the pandemic that has been described previously, this paper seeks to answer the question
"how does the mass media play a role in the Covid-19 securitization process in United
States?". Based on this question, this research presents the main argument that Mass media
plays a role in encouraging securitization as a vehicle for securitizing actors both securitizing
actors and other functional actors, expanding the reach of speech acts, and building
awareness of the urgency of the issue to the public. This paper aims to strengthen the position
of mass media as functional actors in the securitization process on the issue of the Covid-19
pandemic in United States. Through a qualitative analysis of the coverage of the Covid-19
pandemic and United States government policies in the mass media, both print and electronic
during the pandemic era, an understanding of the role of mass media as functional actors in
securitization theory is obtained.
Securitization Theory
The securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic is based on the analytical framework in
understanding security put forward by experts from the Copenhagen School. Securitization
itself refers to Buzan (1998: 23-24), which is a more extreme attempt to politicize an issue so
that it emerges as an issue in the realm of security. In this case, securitization means building
a legitimacy to face or handle the Covid-19 pandemic using a security approach.
Understanding the securitization process cannot be separated from the existence of the actors
involved, namely securitizing actors, audience, and functional actors (Buzan et al., 1998:
36). Securitizing actors are actors who have the legitimacy to show what should be protected
and from what threats (referent object) that are presented through speech acts. Meanwhile,
audiences are those who give legitimacy to securitizing actors to make an issue a security
issue, which in this case is the community. Finally, functional actors are actors who are in the
dynamics of the security sector, their position will have a significant influence on policies in
the security sector.
An important aspect that cannot be ruled out in securitization and mass media is speech
acts. Saifudin (2019) provides a simple explanation of speech act which is an activity by
using language so that other people perform an action desired by those who perform the
speech act. In the context of securitization, speech acts are verbal activities of securitizing
actors to show threats and what is in the mass media threatened conditions to the audience as
an effort to build legitimacy for securitizing actors to take certain actions (extraordinary
measures) in order to overcome the emerging threats (Waever, 2007: 73). Thus, the speech
act will contain various rhetoric put forward by securitizing actors to build awareness of
problems that require togetherness in dealing with them. Therefore, the success of
securitization carried out in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States cannot be
separated from how this speech act is carried out and understood by all levels of society in
United States.
The existence or analysis of functional actors is often ignored in an analysis of
securitization. As stated at the beginning of the paper, most analyses of securitization pay
more attention to the actions of securitizing actors through speech acts. In fact, functional
actors themselves in a securitization process will contribute or oppose, either directly or
indirectly to the design or emergence of security issues. Functional actors here are not in a
position as securitizing actors or referent objects (Buzan et al., 1998: 36). Thus, the existence
and role of functional actors in a securitization process cannot be ruled out, although there
are still difficulties in identifying functional actors in a securitization process, given the
number of actors who can play this role.
Moving on from the description above, Floyd (2020: 9-10) provides five emphases on
the characteristics of functional actors in the securitization process on various issues, namely;
first, functional actors are individuals or groups who seek to gain influence/attention by
raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive and negative sides. Second, functional
actors will be able to thwart or promote securitization even though they are not the referent
object or the one that is threatened, in short, they fight or encourage securitization on the
basis of interests or represent other actors. Third, functional actors are not the ones who
initiate or prevent securitization, either by themselves or by others; however, they will give
their views in the securitization process that has been carried out running. Fourth, some
functional actors are in specific sectors, but there are also functional actors in various sectors.
Fifth, the number of functional actors will increase along with the conditions of freedom in
society.
Based on these characteristics, researchers see the existence of the media as functional
actors in securitization can refer to Floyd's explanation (2020: 10), namely as a vehicle or
instrument for other functional actors to be known and heard, even in this case the media
becomes the most powerful functional actors in the securitization process. In line with Hass
(2009) who states that there are 3 roles of the media in the securitization process, namely
first, providing a stage for securitizing actors to perform speech acts. Second, the channel to
start the speech act performed by securitizing actors. Third, it performs a monitoring function
when the securitization movement has begun. Thus, the media's contribution to the
securitization process places it in Floyd's (2020) categorization as a gatekeeper. The media is
an inseparable part of people's lives as an audience that is able to actively regulate what will
become public knowledge, display information that is prioritized and how to convey this
information. Thus, in the function as a gatekeeper, the media will be used to encourage
securitization, including strengthening arguments about the importance of the issue and also
to maintain justification, as well as legalization of the securitization carried out.
Research Methods
The research method used in preparing this paper is a qualitative method. The selection of
qualitative methods refers to Creswell (2014: 23-25) as an effort to answer the problem
formulation of a complex phenomenon, such as in the securitization process because of its
multidisciplinary, paradoxical, and dilemmatic nature. This type of research uses descriptive
analysis Sugiyono (2018: 3) to build a description of the role of the mass media through the
news as a mechanism for channeling speech acts from securitizing actors to the audience
regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and United States government policies.
The data used to support the main argument in this study were obtained through
literature studies from various books, journals and mass media coverage of the securitization
phenomenon, as well as the behavior of the actors involved in the securitization process in
order to explore data that shows the role of the media in it. Data analysis in this study refers
to Creswell (2014, p. 247) by involving efforts to interpret data in the form of text or images
from the news that contains various statements from securitizing actors as well as news
perspectives on Covid-19 and its countermeasure policies. The data validation used in this
research is triangulation (Boije, 2014, p. 176) by examining the data obtained regarding
securitizing actors' statements regarding Covid-19 and its coping policies contained in mass
media coverage.
Security Approach to the United States Government's Policy in Handling Covid-19.
Covid-19 caused by the SARS-Cov-2 Virus has been declared by the World Health
Organization (WHO) in March 2020 as a global pandemic. When the WHO declared a
pandemic, in at least 2 weeks the number of infection cases outside China had increased 13-
fold and the number of countries experiencing the spread of the disease had increased 3-fold
(Cucinotta & Vanelli, 2020). Until 2021 after 18 months of the pandemic, no country can
avoid the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19, especially with various mutations of this
virus further expanding the spread globally. WHO as an international health authority
encourages all countries to take precautions and countermeasures against the spread of this
disease.
Covid-19 from a security perspective has posed a new threat to humans along with the
increasing panic, fear, and helplessness of the global community on a large enough scale. For
many countries, the choice that was then taken, including United States, although with
different methods, was to close various entry points to their countries in order to prevent the
spread of the virus (Piliang, 2020). This policy is certainly intended as part of providing
protection to people who are in United States his country. Policies in overcoming the Covid-
19 pandemic are part of an extraordinary measure that will show the characteristics that there
has been securitization in the issue. Extraordinary measures will show the urgency of the
issue at hand and build a sense of crisis in the community that will legitimize the actions and
policies of securitizing actors.
Extraordinary measures will be aimed at preventing or reducing emerging threats
related to the spread of Covid-19 in United States carried out by securitizing actors. Buzan
et.al (1998) states that in overcoming threats, all forces and resources will be mobilized in
order to overcome the emerging threats, in this case the spread of Covid-19. The legal basis
of the United States government in implementing this extraordinary measure is contained in
Presidential Decree (Keppres) Number 7 of 2020 concerning the establishment of the Task
Force for the Acceleration of Covid-19 Handling at the National Disaster Management
Agency (BNPB), while as an operational basis is Presidential Decree Number 11 of 2020
concerning the phasing of Covid-19 as a health emergency (Basundoro & Karunia, 2021).
Implementation in the operational context is reflected in the issuance of various guidelines
and procedures related to health protocols in various fields by various relevant ministries. In
addition, the Government of United States also transferred the budget to be used in handling
Covid-19, as well as economic recovery with a total of IDR 695.2 Trillion in 2020 and an
allocation for 2021 of IDR 774.75 Trillion (Ministry of Finance of the Republic of United
States, 2021).
The operationalization of various policies related to efforts to suppress the spread of
Covid-19 in United States has involved various security forces to involve military
institutions. The involvement of the military in handling Covid-19 is referred to by Taufika
(2020) as a form of militarization of the handling of Covid-19 in United States, which is
shown through the involvement of personnel and various resources owned by the United
States National Army (UNITED STATES ARMY). The involvement of the military in
handling Covid-19 in United States shows the level of urgency of handling a crisis that will
become a threat to the nation and state. Although the involvement does not violate the rules
because it is part of the role of Military Operations Other Than War of the UNITED STATES
ARMY as stipulated in Law Number 24 of 2004 concerning the UNITED STATES ARMY.
However, the involvement of UNITED STATES ARMY in handling Covid-19 shows efforts
to build a sense of crisis from the community.
This sense of crisis emerged as part of the goal to implement discipline among the
United States people who are positioned as key in handling the pandemic. Thus, the purpose
of securitization carried out by the United States government is a step to build awareness of
threats that can be overcome through discipline from the community (Tifany, 2020). Even in
April 2020, the United States government then implemented area closures through the Large-
Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) scheme as an effort to suppress the spread of Covid-19.
Even though the implementation of the PSBB had an impact on slowing down the economic
sector. For United States, securitization is also related to the dilemma faced in ensuring a
democratic system. Reflecting on several cases, authoritarian countries have used the Covid-
19 crisis as a momentum to strengthen their power over their society, while democratic
countries such as United States are trying to balance efforts to overcome health problems due
to Covid-19 with various aspects of community freedom (Hutabarat et al., 2020: 64).
Nevertheless, the security approach used through repressive actions has become an
unavoidable reality by law enforcement officials in United States when enforcing various
rules in the context of preventing Covid-19 has referred to efforts to reduce civil space
(Kirana, 2020).
Other policies in the international context that have emerged are the tightening of entry
points for the arrival of foreigners in United States, as well as the implementation of various
procedures for people traveling, both in the domestic and international realms. In addition, in
the context of foreign relations, the United States government through the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has placed emphasis on establishing cooperation to obtain medical assistance,
as well as securing access to vaccine availability with various countries and international
organizations (Arifin, 2020: 26). Thus, the national interest as a priority is to provide
assistance to citizens who are in countries affected by Covid-19 abroad and efforts to secure
access to the availability of vaccines from various countries (Setiawan, 2020). This condition
has shown a shift in priorities which was then carried out by United States in carrying out
foreign policy as part of an effort to deal with a pandemic that occurred domestically. Thus,
the urgency of handling a pandemic is the main goal in order to save the United States
people, both abroad and at home.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
Discussion: The Role of Mass Media in the Securitization of Covid-19 in United States.
Mass Media as a Vehicle for the Existence of Securitization Actors
In the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States,
the mass media played a role by providing a stage for securitizing actors and other functional
actors to convey speech acts (Hass, 2009: 84). This role cannot be separated from the ability
of mass media, which is one of the most effective mechanisms in disseminating information.
This is based on what Kraus & David (1975) stated that the media takes part in building
[political] reality in society. Especially when referring to speech acts which are part of efforts
to build public understanding of what is a threat and objects that are under threat, legitimacy
will be obtained to issue various actions/policies in order to overcome these threats (Waever,
2007: 73). Thus, the efforts of actors in the securitization process of the Covid-19 pandemic
require support from channels that are able to carry the message in the speech act to the
audience will be provided by the mass media. Along with democratization and press freedom
in United States, the mass media will be a very effective means of conveying messages and
information to the public.
Based on the description above, the role of traditional and non-traditional media cannot
be ruled out in disseminating information about Covid-19 to the public, in addition to
information submitted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the world health
authority (Leach & Dry, 2010). In line with Anggraini & Saptatia (2021), the mass media has
a role that cannot be ruled out as an instrument for communication for the government to all
audiences, both health workers and the general public by channeling various up-to-date
information about the handling conditions and prevention. This condition makes it possible
for securitizing actors and functional actors to always convey various speech acts aimed at
building a sense of crisis with the aim of engineering public behavior as part of handling
threats originating from the spread of Covid-19 in United States. Facts can be found at the
beginning of the pandemic, when the United States government through the Task Force for
the Acceleration of Handling Covid-19 always conveyed various information about Covid-19
including statistical figures on the development of its spread in United States which were
aired every day on one of the private TV stations.
Floyd (2020: 10) states that the media is a vehicle for securitizing actors and various
functional actors to be known and heard. This condition can be seen from how the emergence
of various experts who convey opinions and analyses on various television programs
regarding Covid-19 in their respective fields. Even some national private TVs provide special
segments in news broadcasts and broadcast special reports related to Covid-19 in United
States in the form of news, especially in this case is a dialogue with these experts or experts.
The government, both the President and the Task Force for the Acceleration of Handling
Covid-19, epidemiologists, specialists, and so on convey views and analysis related to Covid-
19 which are broadcast through mass media, especially TV. In the context of non-traditional
media, information about Covid-19 is always trending and dominates information in
cyberspace.
Based on this description, the mass media in the securitization process is an actor who
seeks to gain influence/attention by raising the issue of securitization, both on the positive
and negative sides (Floyd, 2020: 9). This influence and attention will be obtained by
presenting various actors who conduct discourse on Covid-19, both related to the nature of
this disease to the policies that must be taken or have been taken in order to deal with this
pandemic. But on the other hand, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between
securitizing actors and other functional actors who make the mass media an instrument of
securitization. The mass media will benefit from the attention of the audience, especially
related to ratings and advertisements aired during programs related to the Covid-19
discussion while securitizing actors get a vehicle to disseminate speech acts and other
functional actors will get a stage to show their expertise in fields related to Covid-19.
Mass Media as a Mechanism for Securitizing Actors to Initiate Speech Actions
Hass (2009) argues that the mass media has a role in initiating speech acts by securitizing
actors. Based on this argument, in the case of Covid-19 securitization in United States, the
mass media is an inseparable part of securitizing actors, which in this case is United States
President Joko Widodo. The media became the mechanism used in providing initial
information about the conditions that occurred and the development of the spread of Covid-
19 in United States. The initial announcement of the entry of Covid-19 in United States was
made through a press conference held by President Joko Widodo by inviting various media,
both print and electronic on March 3, 2020 at the State Palace, Jakarta. The content of the
message delivered by President Joko Widodo was to provide a statement regarding the
evacuation of United States citizens (WNI) from China to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the
country, as well as confirming the detection of Covid-19 infection in United States for the
first time and the steps taken by the government in dealing with the spread of Covid-19 in
United States (Ihsanudin, 2020).
The message conveyed by President Joko Widodo also invites the public to increase
vigilance and comply with health protocols. This information can be interpreted as a message
to prepare the community to face problems that will be faced in the future. Although the
statement does not emphasize building a sense of crisis from the community, this condition is
understood as an effort to avoid potential panic. The use of mass media in delivering
information by the government is not the first time it has been done. However, in the context
of securitization related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this is how the initial message was
conveyed by the President as a securitizing actor. The existence of mass media cannot be
separated from the awareness of the reach of mass media that allows messages to be captured
by a wide range of people so that they are able to convey the message provide education on
how to avoid and prevent transmission of the disease (Abraham, 2007).
The existence of mass media in the securitization process carried out by securitizing
actors and other functional actors is related to the coverage that can reach many people who
are characteristic (McQuail, 2010: 62). Thus, the position of the media in the Covid-19
securitization process is as a tool to promote securitization, even though they are not a
referent object or in a threatened position. In short, the mass media promotes securitization
on the basis of interests or representing other actors (Floyd, 2020: 9). Especially with the
ability to become an instrument of mass communication in order to convey symbolic content
to the general public and is dispersed (Janowitz, 1968). This symbolic content will refer to
speech acts carried out by securitizing actors in order to build legitimacy for the conditions
and policies that will be taken in the context of handling the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States.
Based on the description above, the mass media is not the party that initiates or takes
early prevention of securitization, either by itself or by others (Floyd, 2020: 9). This
statement can be interpreted that the mass media is in a position that is used by other actors,
especially securitizing actors to initiate the securitization process. The mass media in relation
to the securitization process that occurred against the Covid-19 pandemic in United States
occupies a strategic position for actors involved in securitization in this issue, both in positive
and negative contexts (securitization and de-securitization). Especially in the context of initial
statements and various other statements from securitizing actors related to the Covid-19
pandemic in United States, the mass media always provide a larger portion than information
on other issues. This condition will certainly create a situation in people's social reality
regarding the crisis conditions of the pandemic and government policies in handling the
pandemic.
Mass Media Builds and Maintains Crisis Situations
After securitization begins through speech acts performed by securitizing actors through the
mass media, then the mass media will play a role in oversee the securitization process (Hass, 2009).
The media in this case will carry out continuous coverage and reporting related to various information
on issues that are being securitized. This condition occurs when the mass media provide information
by choosing their own point of view and preferences to be informed to the public. In the United States
context, the mass media has contributed to the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
This condition will relate to how the narrative carried in government policy has a relationship with
changes in the color carried in media coverage. Research by Apriliyanti et.al (2021) states that the
media is a platform that plays a very important role in influencing policy agenda-setting, especially
related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in United States.
The description above shows that social media is part of a social construction used in
order to change people's behavior that was carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic. This
change in community behavior cannot be separated from the role of the mass media in
building and maintaining the situation that occurs in society. The mass media is able to
influence the cognitive construction of society through various broadcasts and information
about Covid-19. This condition produces knowledge among the community through
narratives originating from the media will have an impact by confronting the reflective level
of existing subjective reality based on one's experience. In some shows, stories from Covid-
19 survivors and families of victims who died due to Covid-19 are always raised. Mass media
in this context will be a means of conveying messages to the public in order to deal with the
Covid-19 pandemic situation, which in turn will be able to make people more adaptable to
social situations in the pandemic era like today (Akbar, 2021: 79).
Furthermore, Pieri (2019) sees that the reports raised by the mass media and the
education provided can contribute to public awareness, this condition shows that the media
can engineer public behavior (in a positive or negative sense) during a pandemic. The tagline
that is constantly echoed in the mass media is "protect others", the word protect in this
context is interpreted as an effort to prevent threats from coming from the virus the cause of
Covid-19. This threat will then build a sense of crisis in United States society. Sense of crisis
is expected to be a catalyst for changes in public behavior as an awareness of the conditions
being faced as an agenda carried by securitizing actors. This change in behavior can be said
to be an acceptance of the existence of a threatening situation on a massive scale originating
from the Covid-19 pandemic in United States. This condition can be seen from the word
adaptation of new habits (new normal) as a standard of daily behavior of the community
according to health protocols such as wearing masks and washing hands (Djalante et al.,
2020: 7). This change in behavior is part of an effort to protect themselves against the threat
of the Covid-19 pandemic, including public awareness and enthusiasm for the vaccination
program where at first many doubted and even refused.
The existence of mass media in building and maintaining the Covid-19 pandemic
situation in United States cannot be separated from press freedom as a result of the
democratization process. The mass media as functional actors in the securitization of the
Covid-19 pandemic in United States is very diverse ranging from conventional media
(television, newspapers, radio, etc.) to platforms on social media. Referring to Floyd's (2020)
explanation, this condition shows that what functional actors do will increase along with the
conditions of freedom that exist in society. This means that the more diverse the media
available to carry information about the Covid-19 pandemic, the more the conditions and
atmosphere of the pandemic will be formed in society, especially related to increasing
awareness on an ongoing basis of the virus that causes Covid-19 around us. Presenting the
vigilance of the community as an audience against the spread of Covid-19 can be found from
various information related to statistical data on the number of people confirmed, recovered
or died from this disease which has become a routine broadcast from various media in United
States in this pandemic era.
The framing of the existence of health workers who are labeled by using diction as
"frontline", "soldiers" or "heroes" in various news reports in the mass media shows that
United States is in a state of war against Covid-19 (Djalante et al., 2020: 5). The labeling of
health workers who died due to exposure to Covid-19 is also pinned "fallen" in various mass
media, this labeling is always given to those who died in battle in defense of the country. On
the one hand, this is part of what is called building and maintaining a sense of crisis so that
people remain in a state of alert to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease. On the other
hand, the repeated media broadcasts of various information about Covid-19, which far
exceeds the demand, allows for concerns among the public as an audience with the
emergence of psychological impacts (Liu & Liu, 2020: 3).
This explanation shows that the media has an important role in carrying out social
construction of the situation and people's behavior regarding the conditions of the Covid-19
pandemic. Information and messages that are broadcast continuously become the power that
only the mass media, both traditional and non-traditional, have. Thus, in relation to the
securitization process in the role of building and maintaining this situation, the media is in a
specific sector as a characteristic of a functional actor referring to what Floyd (2020: 10)
stated. This condition will be related to how the media is able to convey knowledge to the
public about Covid-19, both the dangers posed and prevention efforts as well as various
policies issued by the government in relation to handling the pandemic in United States. This
means that in these situations and conditions, government policies will gain legitimacy from
the community due to the awakening of awareness that these policies are part of efforts to
protect them from threats originating from the spread of Covid-19.
Conclusion
This research shows that the securitization carried out by the Government of United States
against the Covid-19 pandemic which is reflected in building a sense of crisis in the Covid-19
countermeasure policy in United States cannot be separated from the role of mass media. In
conditions of community polarization and a decrease in the level of trust in the government
before the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic countermeasure policy will be difficult to
implement because it requires compliance and trust from the community towards the
government. Securitization carried out by the United States government seeks to build a sense
of crisis in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthening legitimacy and public trust in
government policies in tackling Covid-19. The securitization process of Covid-19 in United
States based on the discussion in this study will not succeed in building a sense of crisis
without a functional actor, namely the mass media.
The discussion proves the argument of this research by finding 3 roles played by the
mass media as a functional actor in the securitization of the Covid-19 pandemic in United
States, namely first, as a vehicle for securitizing actors, in this case President Joko Widodo
and other actors who have political influence in the United States government, as well as
other functional actors such as epidemiologists, doctors, observers and so on. Second, with a
wide reach, the mass media position themselves to start a securitization process by conveying
various speech acts and other information related to Covid 19 to the public. Third, the mass
media creates and maintains a situation that supports the sustainability of securitization as a
construction of the social reality that occurs in society related to the pandemic caused by the
spread of Covid-19. This paper looks at the role of the media in the context of securitization
theory, thus setting aside content analysis which is commonly used in order to analyze media
behavior. Therefore, future research can raise the role of the media in disseminating
information and education in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in United States.
