Navigating Digital Political PR Law and Ethics:
A U.S.–Indonesia Comparison
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37535/103006120251Keywords:
Digital Political PR, Ethics, Comparative Study, USA, IndonesiaAbstract
This article examines the ethical and regulatory frameworks guiding political public relations (PR) in the United States and Indonesia through document analysis of professional codes and legal regulations. Comparing the PRSA Code of Ethics (U.S.) and the PERHUMAS Code (Indonesia), the study reveals key differences rooted in political and cultural contexts. PRSA emphasizes individual rights, transparency, and free speech, aligning with liberal-democratic values. In contrast, PERHUMAS prioritizes national interest, cultural harmony, and social stability, reflecting Indonesia’s collectivist and developmentalist orientation. Despite differing emphases, both codes lack specific ethical standards for political PR. This absence creates a grey zone where political communicators operate with limited guidance, risking the spread of disinformation, emotional manipulation, and public distrust. Regulatory documents in both countries also fall short: U.S. electoral laws focus on campaign finance and media fairness but overlook ethical conduct in strategic messaging. Indonesia’s regulations, while emphasizing national unity and public order, offer minimal oversight of political PR practices and are shaped by informal power structures. The findings show that both systems rely on voluntary compliance and self-regulation, with weak enforcement mechanisms. However, Indonesia’s context, marked by populism and digital transformation, makes the lack of clear ethical and regulatory frameworks particularly urgent. This article argues for the development of targeted ethical standards and stronger regulatory clarity to ensure accountability and uphold democratic values in political communication.
References
Armiwulan, H., Rahman, R. A., Prabowo, V. N., & Hajdú, J. (2024). Artificial Intelligence and Its Challenges To Elections In Indonesia: A Legal Analysis. Jambura Law Review, 6(2), 264-285.
Avila, F. J. (2025). The Influence of Social Media on Politics and Society: Between Democratization and Manipulation.
Bennett, W. L., & Livingston, S. (2018). The disinformation order: Disruptive communication and the decline of democratic institutions. European journal of communication, 33(2), 122-139.
Bennett, W. L., & Manheim, J. B. (2001). The big spin: Strategic communication and the transformation of pluralist democracy. Mediated politics: Communication in the future of democracy, 279-298.
Bingham, J. W. (1912). What is the Law. Mich. L. Rev., 11, 1.
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative research journal, 9(2), 27-40.
Bowen, S. A. (2007). Ethics and public relations. Gainesville, FL: Institute for Public Relations.
Bowen, S. A. (2013). Using classic social media cases to distill ethical guidelines for digital engagement. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 28(2), 119-133.
Budiana, M. (2024). Political Buzzers’ Role on Social Media During The 2019 Indonesian Presidential Election. Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication, 40(2), 521-32.
Cadwalladr, C. (2022, August 16). ‘I made Steve Bannon’s psychological warfare tool’: meet the data war whistleblower. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/data-war-whistleblower-christopher-wylie-faceook-nix-bannon-trump
Confessore, N. (2018, March 17). Revealed: 50 million facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-facebook-influence-us-election
Daud, R. S. (2021). The role of political communication in shaping public opinion: A comparative analysis of traditional and digital media. Journal of Public Representative and Society Provision, 1(2), 80-89.
Davis, A. (2000). Public relations democracy: public relations, politics and the mass media in Britain. (No Title).
Devine, T., & Maassarani, T. F. (2011). The corporate whistleblower's survival guide: A handbook for committing the truth. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Dhani, R., Lee, T., & Fitch, K. (2015). Political public relations in Indonesia: A history of propaganda and democracy. Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, 16(1), 23-36.
Federal Election Commission (FEC). (2021). Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/feca.pdf
Fitzpatrick, K., & Bronstein, C. (Eds.). (2006). Ethics in public relations: Responsible advocacy. Sage.
Graham-Harrison, E., & Cadwalladr, C. (2021, September 29). Revealed: 50 million Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-facebook-influence-us-election
Habermas, J. (1989). The structural transformation of the public sphere, trans. Thomas Burger. Cambridge: MIT Press, 85(85-92), 180.
Ham, A. (2025). Cultural Relativism In Global PR Ethics: A Thematic Analysis of PR Ethics Codes and Development of a Cultural Assessment Tool.
Harbour, M. (2024). The Ethics of Political Communication: Balancing truth and persuasion. Longdom. https://doi.org/10.35248/2332-0761.24.12.047
Hartini, T. (2019). Upaya Perhumas Dalam Meningkatkan Kompetensi Public Relations. Makna: Jurnal Kajian Komunikasi, Bahasa, Dan Budaya, 4(1), 32-57.
Heath, R. L. (Ed.). (2013). Encyclopedia of public relations. Sage Publications.
Howard, P. N., Woolley, S., & Calo, R. (2018). Algorithms, bots, and political communication in the US 2016 election: The challenge of automated political communication for election law and administration. Journal of information technology & politics, 15(2), 81-93.
Ihlen, Ø., Fredrikson, M., & Van Ruler, B. (Eds.). (2009). Public relations and social theory. West Sussex: Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group.
Jackson, M., Chorazy, E., Sison, M. D., & Wise, D. (2022). Public relations ethics in the 21st century: a state-of-the-field review. Journal of Communication Management, 26(3), 294-314.
Kizza, J. M. (Ed.). (2003). Ethical and social issues in the information age. New York, NY: Springer New York.
Komisi Pemilihan Umum Republik Indonesia (KPU). (2023). Peraturan KPU No. 15 Tahun 2023 tentang Kampanye Pemilu. https://jdih.kpu.go.id/data/data_pkpu/2023pkpu015.pdf
Kreiss, D. (2016). Prototype politics: Technology-intensive campaigning and the data of democracy. Oxford University Press.
Mangundjaya, W. L., & Putri, A. R. (2018). Uncertainty avoidance, culture, and people’s reaction to conflict. Proceedings. Social Science and Humanities, 2.
Messina, A. (2007). Public relations, the public interest and persuasion: An ethical approach. Journal of Communication Management, 11(1), 29-52.
Moor, J. H. (2005). Why do we need better ethics for emerging technologies? Ethics and information technology, 7(3), 111-119.
Parsons, P. J. (2016). Ethics in public relations: A guide to best practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
PERHUMAS. (2017). Kode Etik Kehumasan Indonesia. http://perhumas.or.id/kode-etik/
Pira, F. (2023). Disinformation is a problem for democracy: profiling and risks of consensus manipulation. Frontiers in Sociology, 8, 1150753.
Pitta, D. A., Fung, H. G., & Isberg, S. (1999). Ethical issues across cultures: managing the differing perspectives of China and the USA. Journal of consumer marketing, 16(3), 240-256.
Prior, L. (2002). Using documents in social research.
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). (2015). PRSA Code of Ethics. https://www.prsa.org/ethics/code-of-ethics
Ruijer, H. J. M. (2017). Proactive transparency in the United States and the Netherlands: The role of government communication officials. The American Review of Public Administration, 47(3), 354-375.
Stromback, J., & Kiousis, S. (Eds.). (2019). Political public relations: Concepts, principles, and applications. Routledge.
Suharman, T. (2024). Exploiting Indonesia’s Turmoil: Provocative Media Framing in Criminal Cases—Ethical Reporting or Misleading Narratives?. Indonesia Media Law Review, 3(1).
Transparency International Indonesia. (2017). Whistleblowing Systems: A Study on Practices and Challenges in Indonesia. Jakarta: Transparency International Indonesia.
Tsetsura, K., & Kruckeberg, D. (2017). Transparency, public relations, and the mass media: Combating the hidden influences in news coverage worldwide. Routledge.
Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 7 Tahun 2017 Tentang Pemilihan Umum. (2017). https://www.mkri.id/public/content/pemilu/UU/UU%20No.7%20Tahun%202017.pdf
United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Fathiyyah Maryufani, Dean
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright rules apply for the articles that are featured in COMMENTATE: Journal of Communication Management
- COMMENTATE: Journal of Communication Management holds the right to be the first to publish the article.
- Authors will still be the copyright holder for their articles published on COMMENTATE: Journal of Communication Management and can use it freely as long as it does not violate the rules.
- Papers featured on COMMENTATE: Journal of Communication Management are under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Further details can be access on Open Access Policy.
