ANTAGONISM ON ROHINGYA IN YOUTUBE COMMENTS: VIRTUAL ETHNOGRAPHY OF INDONESIA-MALAYSIA NETIZEN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37231/apj.2025.8.SI1.802Abstract
This study explores antagonism in YouTube comments responding to news coverage of protests against Rohingya refugees in Indonesia and Malaysia. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, the research combines sentiment analysis, qualitative content analysis, and topic modeling to examine 7428 comments from 7012 user accounts collected between November and December 2023. Using sentiment and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), this paper identifies dominant themes across comment sections of major media channels. The analysis reveals that commenters predominantly express out-group perspectives through repetitive, capitalized, and derogatory language, often forming bullying or dehumanizing voices. Performative hostility, marked by superlatives and emotive exaggeration, reinforces collective rejection and group identity. The discourse positioned Rohingya refugees as threats for the people in Indonesia and Malaysia, reflecting broader patterns of digital othering and exclusion. Notably, netizens focus more on critiquing refugee presence than evaluating government policy. This study underscores how digital platforms facilitate antagonistic discourse that marginalizes vulnerable groups. These insights underscore the urgent need for digital literacy initiatives and policy interventions to counteract online hostility and promote inclusive public discourse.
Keywords: Antagonism; YouTube Comments; Rohingya Refugees; Sentiment Analysis; Qualitative Content Analysis
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