Akun Instagram @merawatpapua sebagai Counterpublic Digital: Representasi Realitas Sosial dan Narasi Tandingan atas Ketidakadilan Pembangunan di Distrik Muara, Papua Pegunungan

Irfan Khairurizqy, Dr. Hakimul Ikhwan, S.Sos., M.A.

2026 | Skripsi | Sosiologi

Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh dominasi narasi media arus utama yang sering merepresentasikan Papua melalui isu konflik, keterbelakangan, dan ketimpangan sosial, sehingga pengalaman hidup masyarakat Papua belum sepenuhnya terwakili secara adil. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis bagaimana akun Instagram @merawatpapua merepresentasikan realitas sosial dalam pembelaan hak masyarakat Desa Muara, Distrik Muara, Lanny Jaya, Papua Pegunungan, serta menentang ketidakadilan pembangunan di wilayah tersebut. Penelitian menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan Analisis Wacana Kritis Norman Fairclough yang didukung teori representasi Stuart Hall, konsep Subaltern Counter Publics milik Nancy Fraser, serta konsep redistribusi dan rekognisi keadilan. Data diperoleh melalui observasi daring terhadap unggahan akun @merawatpapua selama periode Juni 2022 hingga Desember 2025. 

Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa akun ini menghadirkan representasi alternatif mengenai pendidikan, kesehatan, ketahanan pangan, dan kehidupan sosial masyarakat Desa Muara yang selama ini kurang terlihat dalam media arus utama. Akun @merawatpapua juga berfungsi sebagai epistemik alternatif yang memproduksi pengetahuan berbasis pengalaman lapangan sekaligus menghadirkan narasi tandingan terhadap ketidakadilan pembangunan di Papua Pegunungan. Meskipun persoalan yang diangkat belum memperoleh perhatian yang memadai dari pemerintah, akun ini berhasil membangun solidaritas publik melalui donasi masyarakat dan dukungan perusahaan Bikaliving untuk mendukung berbagai program pemberdayaan. Dengan demikian, @merawatpapua tidak hanya menjadi media representasi, tetapi juga berperan sebagai counter publics digital yang menghubungkan produksi pengetahuan alternatif, pemberdayaan masyarakat, dan mobilisasi dukungan sosial.

This study is motivated by the dominance of mainstream media narratives that frequently portray Papua through issues of conflict, underdevelopment, and social inequality, leaving the lived experiences of Papuan communities inadequately represented. The research aims to analyze how the Instagram account @merawatpapua represents social realities in advocating for the rights of communities in Muara Village, Muara District, Lanny Jaya Regency, Highland Papua, and how it challenges development injustices in the region. This study employs a qualitative method using Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, supported by Stuart Hall’s theory of representation, Nancy Fraser’s concept of Subaltern Counter Publics, and the concepts of redistribution and recognition of justice. Data were collected through online observation of posts, captions, and interactions on the @merawatpapua Instagram account from June 2022 to December 2025. 

The findings reveal that @merawatpapua provides an alternative representation of the lives of the people of Muara Village through narratives of education, healthcare, food security, and social relations that are often overlooked by mainstream media. The account also functions as an alternative epistemic space that produces knowledge grounded in field-based experiences while offering a counter-narrative to development injustices in Highland Papua. Although the issues highlighted by the account have not received sufficient attention from policymakers and government institutions, @merawatpapua has successfully mobilized public solidarity through community donations and operational support from Bikaliving to sustain various empowerment programs. Therefore, @merawatpapua serves not only as a medium of representation but also as a counter-public digital that connects alternative knowledge production, community empowerment, and the mobilization of social support.

Kata Kunci : Representasi Media Sosial, Realitas Sosial, Praktik Pemberdayaan, Counter Publics, Ketidakadilan Pembangunan