Prabowo Subianto’s Leadership Image Built Through Sustainability Messaging on Instagram, Study Finds
A new peer-reviewed study published in the International Journal of Integrative Sciences reveals how Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto constructs his leadership image through sustainability communication on Instagram. The research was conducted by Andika Hendra Mustaqim from Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, Nanang Haroni from Universitas Al-Azhar Indonesia, and Tamam Ruji Harahap from Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kemendikdasmen. Published in 2026, the study shows that Prabowo’s visual communication strategy consistently promotes sustainable leadership values that shape public trust, legitimacy, and national vision.
The findings matter because social media has become a key political communication channel in Indonesia. With more than 15 million Instagram followers, Prabowo Subianto’s online presence is not only influential but also strategic. The research explains how sustainability narratives, emotional imagery, and policy symbolism work together to strengthen leadership legitimacy in the digital era.
Why Sustainability Communication Matters in Political Leadership
Sustainability has become a central issue in global and Indonesian development. Governments face growing pressure to balance economic growth, environmental protection, food security, and social welfare. In Indonesia, sustainability is closely tied to public trust, policy credibility, and leadership reputation.
Political leaders increasingly use sustainability communication to connect policies with everyday experiences. Visual platforms such as Instagram allow leaders to translate complex policies into relatable images. According to the authors, sustainability communication is no longer limited to environmental messages. It now includes social resilience, food systems, emotional leadership, and long-term human development.
In this context, Prabowo Subianto’s leadership communication provides an important case. His Instagram account serves as a public stage where sustainability values are visually narrated and repeatedly reinforced.
How the Researchers Conducted the Study
The researchers used a qualitative iconography approach, a method that analyzes images to understand meaning, symbols, and cultural messages. They examined 50 Instagram photos posted on Prabowo Subianto’s official account, @prabowo, between January and December 2025.
The analysis focused on photographs rather than videos to capture recurring visual patterns. Each image was examined through three stages: description, classification, and interpretation. The researchers analyzed themes, emotions, visual motifs, and policy context to identify how leadership meaning is constructed.
This approach allowed the researchers to explore how images function not just as documentation, but as strategic communication tools.
Three Key Leadership Icons Identified in Prabowo’s Instagram
The study identifies three dominant leadership icons that define Prabowo Subianto’s sustainability communication.
The study highlights that food security is framed as the foundation of sustainability. By emphasizing agricultural expansion, diversification of commodities, and farmer empowerment, Prabowo’s leadership image aligns food policy with environmental balance and economic stability.
Policies such as the Free Nutritious Meals (Makan Bergizi Gratis) program reinforce this icon. The study explains that affection-based leadership strengthens public trust by presenting sustainability as an investment in people, especially children and future generations.
This icon represents moral leadership that builds confidence, optimism, and participation. The study notes that morale-building imagery helps translate policy into emotional energy, making leadership feel present and accessible.
Sustainability Leadership Beyond Environmental Policy
One of the study’s most important findings is that sustainability leadership is not limited to green or environmental issues. Instead, sustainability is presented as a holistic social strategy that combines policy, emotion, identity, and symbolism.
The researchers explain that Prabowo Subianto’s leadership image integrates sustainability communication with iconization. This approach turns policies into symbols that people can recognize, remember, and support.
As Andika Hendra Mustaqim from Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika explains, sustainable leadership is built “through a combination of visuals, policies, and emotions that create legitimacy and public trust.” This strategy allows leadership narratives to travel easily across digital platforms and social conversations.
Implications for Politics, Policy, and Public Communication
The findings have broad implications for political communication in Indonesia and beyond.
For policymakers, the study shows that sustainability policies gain stronger public support when communicated visually and emotionally. For political leaders, it highlights the importance of consistent storytelling across platforms. For communication professionals, the research offers a model for building leadership credibility through icon-based narratives.
The study also suggests that future leadership strategies will depend heavily on how effectively sustainability values are communicated, not only implemented.
Author Profiles
Andika Hendra Mustaqim, PhD, Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, Indonesia.
Nanang Haroni, PhD, Universitas Al-Azhar Indonesia,
Tamam Ruji Harahap, PhD, Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kemendikdasmen,
Source
Journal Article Title: Constructing Iconization of Leadership: A Sustainability Communication of Prabowo Subianto’s Policy
Journal: International Journal of Integrative Sciences
Year: 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v5i1.840
.png)
0 Komentar