A Critical Discourse Analysis of Policy Texts and Media Narratives of COVID-19 Vaccine in Indonesia

ABSTRACT

This article aimed to discuss the discourse conveyed by the opinion leader regarding the policy tests used with regard to COVID-19 vaccine. This article used a qualitative research design with critical discourse analysis approach, accessed and retrieved data from the narratives displayed by online media using N-Capture on the N Vivo 12 plus. The conclusion derived was that the critical discourse of opinion leaders shows the existence of an ideology of interest, such as business vaccines or monopoly vaccines originating from one country, so the term "hammer and sickle vaccine" appears. There are manipulative deconstructions, such as the term “vaccine drama”. Although the social practices carried out by opinion leaders in the critical discourse, there are also constructive ones, such as support for domestically produced vaccines and free vaccines. Thus, the social practices carried out by opinion leaders are not completely destructive in dismantling the dominant discourse related to the COVID-19 vaccine. In short, the study found several policies that enjoyed the support of opinion leaders. © 2022 EJAL & the Authors.