Instead of dismantling the entrenched power of oligarchic elites, Jokowi’s populism has deepened predatory tendencies by attacking institutional reforms established after the fall of Suharto. His political strategy has aligned the accumulation of capital with business interests, populist rhetoric, and bureaucratic life—while also weakening legal structures to allow exploitation of state resources and redistribution of wealth to political allies.

In Indonesia, a country prone to disasters and emergencies, effective risk communication can mean the difference between safety and vulnerability for millions. But what happens when risk communication fails to reach those most marginalised?

This chilly new media climate clearly adds to the myriad of problems already facing the Indonesian media. These range from extreme concentration of media ownership to various forms of elite cooptation.