Negotiating Autonomy: Art Workers, Media, and the Cultural Industries in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26623/themessenger.v17i3.12374Keywords:
Art Workers, Cultural Industry, Local Television, Negotiated AutonomyAbstract
Purpose: This study investigates the autonomy of art workers within the Indonesian cultural industry through a case study of two local television stations, ADiTV and Bali TV. The main objective is to examine how art workers maintain their autonomy while navigating the demands of the market and the organizational values imposed by their institutions.
Methods: This study adopts a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with television managers, art workers, and observers. The observers interviewed in this study were individuals with a deep and long-standing concern for the dynamics of local television. ADiTV and Bali TV were selected as research sites due to their distinctive characteristics. ADiTV operates as a local television channel with an Islamic missionary orientation, while Bali TV is embedded within the Ajeg Bali cultural movement.
Findings: This study found that the autonomy of art workers in the cultural industry on local television shows a negotiated position. This study found that economic interests in pursuing profits and mass production within the cultural industry do not always harm the autonomy of art workers. Pressures on art workers actually come from non-market forces that are more cultural, such as Islamic values on ADiTV or Ajeg Bali on Bali TV.
Originality: This research contributes to the debate on artists' autonomy in the local television. By taking non-economic factors into account in determining artists' autonomy, this study makes an essential contribution to the discussion on artists' autonomy in the cultural industry, which tends to emphasize commercial factors.
References
Armando, A. (2014a). Kegagalan Televisi Berjaringan dan Dampaknya pada Demokrasi di Indonesia. Jurnal Komunikasi Indonesia, 3(1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.7454/jki.v3i1.7845
Armando, A. (2014b). The greedy giants: Centralized television in post-authoritarian Indonesia. International Communication Gazette, 76(4–5), 390–406. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048514524106
Astuti, P. A. A., Hardianto, A. W., Romadhon, M. S. S., & Hangsing, R. P. (2024). Marketing religious programs on television as a nonfavorite program: a study in Indonesia. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 15(10), 2439–2460. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-07-2022-0187
Banks, M. (2010). Autonomy guaranteed? cultural work and the “Art-commerce relation.” Journal for Cultural Research, 14(3), 251–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/14797581003791487
Barkin, G. (2006). The foreignizing gaze: Producers, audiences, and symbols of the ‘Traditional.’ Asian Journal of Communication, 16(4), 352–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/01292980601012386
Barna, E., & Blaskó, Á. (2021). Music industry workers’ autonomy and (un)changing relations of dependency in the wake of COVID-19 in Hungary: Conclusions of a sociodrama research project. Intersections East European Journal of Society and Politics, 7(3), 279–298. https://doi.org/10.17356/ieejsp.v7i3.789
Beirne, M., Jennings, M., & Knight, S. (2017). Autonomy and resilience in cultural work: looking beyond the ‘creative industries.’ Journal for Cultural Research, 21(2), 204–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/14797585.2016.1275311
Bogaerts, E. (2017). Mediating the local: Representing Javanese cultures on local television in Indonesia. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 48(2), 196–218. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022463417000042
Brown, C., & Chin Roemer, R. (2016). Local Television News in Salinas, California: Defining and Informing a Latino Community With Excessive Crime News Coverage. Electronic News, 10(1), 3–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1931243116628585
Calfano, B., Maulden, C., & Hughes, S. (2022). Coverage Competence via Collaboration: Overcoming Political Journalism Challenges in Local Television. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 77(2), 190–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776958211047430
Devi, S. (2019). Making Sense of “Views” Culture in Television News Media in India. Journalism Practice, 13(9), 1075–1090. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2019.1635041
Edy, J. A., Anderson, C., & Tapia, M. H. (2024). News sources and the epistemic authority to represent reality: How journalism constructs an order of authorized knowers in local television news. Journalism, 0(0), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849241291727
Fadhilah, S., Farahnisa, N., Uyun, R., & Hidayati, N. (2016). RBTV Bertahan di Tengah Tv “Nasional.” Komunikator, 8(2), 85–92. https://journal.umy.ac.id/index.php/jkm/article/download/2323/2589
Featherstone, M. (1992). Cultural Production, Consumption, and the Development of the Cultural Sphere. In R. Munch & N. J. Smelser (Eds.), Theory of Culture (pp. 244–265). University of California Press.
Garnham, N. (2000). Emancipation, the Media and Modernity (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garnham, N. (2005). From cultural to creative industries: An analysis of the implications of the “creative industries” approach to arts and media policy making in the United Kingdom. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 11(1), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286630500067606
Hamdaoui, S. (2021). Enhancing elite autonomy: the role of cultural policy in post-authoritarian Chile (1990-2005). International Journal of Cultural Policy, 27(7), 853–865. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2020.1825404
Hanchett Hanson, M., & Ross, W. (2025). Case study special issue introduction case studies: A methodological lifeline to world. Possibility Studies & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/27538699251323015
Harris, N., & Delanty, G. (2023). What is capitalism? Toward a working definition. Social Science Information, 62(3), 323–344. https://doi.org/10.1177/05390184231203878
Haryadi, R., Hidayat, R., & Suhartono. (2001, November). Daerah Mengepung Pusat. Gatra, 44.
Haryono, C. G., Bungin, B., & Teguh, M. (2025). The guardian of local culture: the dynamic of Indonesian local television to survive against global media onslaught. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 23(1), 117–133. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-08-2024-0123
Hendrawan, B. (2017). Televisi Lokal: Antara Kepentingan Korporat dan Fungsi Sosial. Jurnal Komunikasi Indonesia, 2(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.7454/jki.v2i1.7825
Holt, F., & Lapenta, F. (2010). Introduction: Autonomy and creative labour. Journal for Cultural Research, 14(3), 223–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/14797581003791453
Horkheimer, M., & Adorno, W. T. (2006). The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception. In M. G. D. Durham & D. M. Kellner (Eds.), Media and Cultural Studies, KeyWorks (Revised ed, pp. 41–72). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Jones, T. (2015). Kebudayaan dan Kekuasaan di Indonesia: Kebijakan Budaya Selama Abad ke-20 hingga Era Reformasi. Buku Obor-KITLV-Jakarta.
Kann-Rasmussen, N., & Hvenegaard Rasmussen, C. (2021). Paradoxical autonomy in cultural organisations: an analysis of changing relations between cultural organisations and their institutional environment, with examples from libraries, archives and museums. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 27(5), 636–649. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2020.1823976
Kim, J. W. (2009). A Concept of Autonomy for Critical Communication Studies. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 33(2), 126–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0196859908329083
Kleppe, B. (2018). Managing Autonomy: Analyzing Arts Management and Artistic Autonomy through the Theory of Justification. Journal of Arts Management Law and Society, 48(3), 191–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632921.2017.1377661
Kuokkanen, R. (2024). The problem of culturalizing indigenous self-determination: Sámi cultural autonomy in Finland. Polar Journal, 14(1), 148–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/2154896X.2024.2342125
Larasati, R. D. (2022). Menari di Atas Kuburan Massal: Rekonstruksi Budaya Indonesia Pascagenosida. Insist Press.
Lee, H. K. (2022). Supporting the cultural industries using venture capital: a policy experiment from South Korea. Cultural Trends, 31(1), 47–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/09548963.2021.1926931
Liu, Y. (2024). The meaning of autonomy: How artists justify career paths. Poetics, 105(June), 101915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2024.101915
Marková, I., Zadeh, S., & Zittoun, T. (2020). Introduction to the special issue on generalisation from dialogical single case studies. Culture and Psychology, 26(1), 3–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X19888193
Maryani, E., Karlinah, S., & Rahmawan, D. (2018). The Sustainability of Local Media Within the Domination of National Media Industry. E3S Web of Conferences, 73, 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20187314010
Masduki, Utomo, W. P., Rahayu, Wendratama, E., Kurnia, N., Rianto, P., Aprilia, M. P., Zuhri, S., Edvra, P. A., Tristi, M. A., Paramastri, M. A., Adiputra, W. M., & Suci, P. L. N. (2023). Kepemilikan dan Afiliasi Politik Media di Indonesia (E. Wendratama (ed.)). USAID-PR2Media-Internews. https://pr2media.or.id/publikasi/kepemilikan-dan-afiliasi-politik-media-di-indonesia/
Midberry, J., & Walters, P. (2025). Broadcasting Solutions: A Textual Analysis of Philadelphia Local Television News Coverage of Remedies for Gun Violence. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990251318639
Mukhzamilah, Suhartono, & Chakim, N. (2021). The Complexity of Javanese Language: an Overview for Western Language Teachers. Jurnal Education and Development, 9(3), 517–520. https://journal.ipts.ac.id/index.php/ED/article/view/2899/1871
Nainggolan, B. (2018). Dinamika Konsentrasi Pasar Industri Pertelevisian Nasional. Jurnal ASPIKOM, 3(4), 767. https://doi.org/10.24329/aspikom.v3i4.242
O’Brochta, W. (2022). Perceptions of Partisanship in Local Television News. Electronic News, 16(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/19312431211072504
Panjaitan, H. (1999). Memasung Televisi. ISAI.
Parekh, B. (1997). National Culture and Multiculturalism. In K. Thompson (Ed.), Media and Cultural Regulation (pp. 164–200). Sage Publications.
Parekh, B. (2008). Rethingking Multiculturalism, Keberagaman Budaya dan Teori Politik. Kanisius.
Putri, D. H., Rianto, P., & Felani, H. (2018). Local television and the construction of local identities: case studies on two local televisions in Pekanbaru, Indonesia. Asian Journal of Media and Communication (AJMC), 2(1), 21–26. https://doi.org/10.20885/asjmc.vol2.iss1.art3
Rahayu, Pamungkas, T. B., Paramastri, M. A., & Nurmalita, W. (2024). Content diversity under a digital regime: a case study of the television broadcasting industry in Indonesia. Media Asia, 0(0), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01296612.2024.2429449
Rianto, P., & Poerwaningtias, I. (2013). Tv Publik Dan Lokalitas Budaya: Urgensinya Di Tengah Dominasi Tv Swasta Jakarta. Jurnal Komunikasi, 7(2), 163–176. https://doi.org/10.20885/komunikasi.vol7.iss2.art6
Rianto, P., Setiawati, T., Wahyudi, R., Sari, G. G., & Susilo, D. (2024). Locality as a space for negotiation and resistance in local television. ProTVF, 8(2), 136–254. https://doi.org/10.24198/ptvf.v8i2.53979
Røyseng, S. (2019). The social contract of artists in the era of cultural industries. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 25(2), 154–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2016.1229313
Sadeghi Moghadam, M. R., Ghasemnia Arabi, N., & Khoshsima, G. (2021). A Review of Case Study Method in Operations Management Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211010088
Sasaki, I., & Baba, S. (2024). Shades of Cultural Marginalization: Cultural Survival and Autonomy Processes. Organization Theory, 5(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/26317877231221552
Sellas, T., & Bonet, M. (2023). Independent podcast networks in Spain: A grassroots cultural production facing cultural industry practices. Convergence, 29(4), 801–817. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565221142147
Sen, K., & Hill, D. (2000). Media, Culture and Politics in Indonesia (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.
Si, S. (2017). A report on Beijing’s cultural and creative industries media clusters. Global Media and China, 1(4), 412–421. https://doi.org/10.1177/2059436417692073
Souisa, H. Y. (2020). Broadcasting paradox? A study of content diversity and ownership in contemporary Indonesian television (Issue February) [The University of Melbourne]. https://www.academia.edu/81502859/Broadcasting_Paradox_a_Study_of_Content_Diversity_and_Ownership_in_Contemporary_Indonesian_Television
Su, W. (2015). From culture for the people to culture for profit: the PRC’s journey toward a cultural industries approach. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 21(5), 513–528. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2014.931382
Sudibyo, A. (2004). Ekonomi Politik Media Penyiaran. ISAI-LKiS.
Surokim. (2015). Managing the Local TV in East Java Service Area, Indonesia: Focus on Strategic Triangle. Communication Sphere, 1(1), 83–91. https://journal.trunojoyo.ac.id
Udasmoro, W., Yuwono, J. S. E., Sulistyowati, Firmonasari, A., Astuti, W. T., & Baskoro, B. R. S. (2023). The Preservation of the Javanese Language in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Indonesian Journal of Geography, 55(1), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.22146/ijg.68183
Wahyuni, H. (2016). Indonesian Broadcasting Policy The Limits of Re-regulation to Create a Democratic Broadcasting System. Media Asia, 33(3&4), 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/01296612.2006.11726827
Warto, W. (2019). The Segmentation of Local Television Audiences in Central Java in the Digital Era. Jurnal The Messenger, 11(2), 220. https://doi.org/10.26623/themessenger.v11i2.1278
Wikström, J. (2025). The Social Form of Contemporary Art’s Autonomy. Third Text, 0(0), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09528822.2025.2504830
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Puji Rianto, Hermin Indah Wahyuni, Sugeng Bayu Wahyono
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Transfer Form
The copyright to this article is transferred to the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang if and when the article is accepted for publication. The undersigned hereby transfers any and all rights in and to the paper including without limitation all copyrights to the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang. The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required. The undersigned represents that he/she has the power and authority to make and execute this assignment.
We declare that:
1. This paper has not been published in the same form elsewhere.
2. It will not be submitted anywhere else for publication prior to acceptance/rejection by this Journal.
3. A copyright permission is obtained for materials published elsewhere and which require this permission for reproduction.
Furthermore, I/We hereby transfer the unlimited rights of publication of the above mentioned paper in whole to the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang. The copyright transfer not covers the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute the article, including reprints, translations, photographic reproductions, microform, electronic form (offline, online) or any other reproductions of similar nature.
The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsibility for releasing this material on behalf of any and all co-authors. This agreement is to be signed by at least one of the authors who have obtained the assent of the co-author(s) where applicable. After submission of this agreement signed by the corresponding author, changes of authorship or in the order of the authors listed will not be accepted.
Retained Rights/Terms and Conditions
1. Authors retain all proprietary rights in any process, procedure, or article of manufacture described in the Work.
2. Authors may reproduce or authorize others to reproduce the work or derivative works for the authors personal use or for company use, provided that the source and the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang copyright notice are indicated, the copies are not used in any way that implies the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang endorsement of a product or service of any employer, and the copies themselves are not offered for sale.
3. Although authors are permitted to re-use all or portions of the Work in other works, this does not include granting third-party requests for reprinting, republishing, or other types of re-use.
