DAWUH : Islamic Communication Journal

Reconstructing Pedagogical Da'wah through Transnational Islamic Journalism: A Comparative Study of Al-'Urwa al-Wuthqa and Al-Manar

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:30:37 +0700

This article aims to analyze the role of Al-‘Urwa al-Wuthqa (1884) and Al-Manar (1898–1935) as transnational Islamic press in reconstructing an educational and transformative model of da'wah. This study employs a qualitative approach using historical-critical methods and discourse analysis of primary texts alongside literature on Islamic modernism. The findings reveal that the ideas of Jamaluddin al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh, as articulated in Al-‘Urwa al-Wuthqa, function not only as instruments of religious and political communication but also as a form of public pedagogy that fosters critical awareness among Muslims through anti-imperial narratives, Pan-Islamic solidarity, and the promotion of ijtihad and rationality. Together with Al-Manar, these media bridged religious thought, politics, and modernity within a transnational Islamic communication space. However, previous studies tend to situate these publications within a historical-ideological framework, overlooking their pedagogical dimensions. Meanwhile, contemporary da'wah studies largely emphasize digital media effectiveness while neglecting critical literacy. This study highlights the importance of integrating classical Islamic media heritage into da'wah communication learning to develop a reflective, critical, and contextually relevant educational da'wah model in the digital era.

Children’s Enjoyment and Recognition of Character Strengths in Bawang Merah Bawang Putih: Implications for Character Education

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:22:12 +0700

Children's character education is often taught through monotonous methods. Narrative is believed to be an effective method for persuading children through folktales. Folklore is a narrative that has been verbally transmitted through the generations. This method was used to teach children about moral concepts in an interesting way, such as the story of Bawang Merah Bawang Putih. However, there is limited evidence that Bawang Merah Bawang Putih can instill character in children. Thus, this study aims to investigate the enjoyment and character traits emphasized in Bawang Merah Bawang Putih. Using a one-group post-test design, involved children aged 10 to 12 from schools in Indonesia. After watching a theatrical performance of Bawang Merah Bawang Putih, the children completed questionnaires measuring enjoyment using scales from Oliver and Bartsch and the Values in Action – Youth from Park and Peterson to assess character strengths. Data were analyzed using a one-sample t-test and a within-subjects ANOVA. The results show that 38 students experienced enjoyment and identified positive character strengths from the story, namely perseverance, forgiveness, zest, bravery, humility, honesty, and prudence. These findings suggest that Bawang Merah Bawang Putih can support character education by increasing children's enjoyment and recognition of positive character strengths.

Deconstruction of Radicalism Narratives Through The Tabligh Approach: A Library Research Of Islamic Political Communication In Public Security Maintenance Strategies

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:47:18 +0700

The rapid transformation of digital communication has fundamentally reshaped the dissemination of religious narratives within the contemporary public sphere. Alongside the expansion of digital da'wah, radical ideological narratives increasingly exploit social media algorithms, religious influencers, and fragmented information ecosystems to construct persuasive political identities capable of influencing social cohesion and public security. This article aims to analyze how the tabligh approach within Islamic political communication can function as a strategy for deconstructing radicalism narratives while strengthening public order and security (kamtibmas). Employing a qualitative library research design through systematic literature review, this study synthesizes recent scholarly works on prophetic communication, digital da'wah, religious authority, algorithmic communication, political Islam, and digital media transformation. The analysis demonstrates that radical narratives no longer rely solely on theological arguments but increasingly utilize persuasive visual communication, algorithmic amplification, emotional framing, and identity politics. Consequently, conventional counter-radicalization strategies emphasizing security enforcement alone become insufficient. The study argues that tabligh should be reconstructed as a prophetic communication paradigm integrating ethical persuasion, dialogical engagement, digital literacy, and inclusive religious authority. Such an approach enables Islamic political communication to produce persuasive counter-narratives grounded in mercy, moderation, and social cohesion while simultaneously strengthening community resilience against ideological polarization. The findings contribute conceptually to Islamic political communication by positioning prophetic tabligh not merely as religious preaching but as a comprehensive political communication strategy capable of maintaining democratic stability, strengthening social harmony, and supporting sustainable public security within Indonesia's increasingly digitalized communication environment.

Keywords: Islamic Political Communication; Prophetic Communication; Tabligh; Radicalism Narrative; Public Security; Digital Da'wah.

Da'wah in the Algorithmic Ecosystem: A Critical Review of Islamic Communication Strategies on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts Platforms

suhaily amri hasibuan — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 23:55:55 +0700

Abstract

The rapid development of algorithm-driven digital platforms has significantly transformed the landscape of Islamic communication and da'wah. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have evolved beyond content-sharing applications into algorithmic ecosystems that determine the visibility, circulation, and reception of religious messages. Consequently, da'wah is no longer shaped solely by the competence of preachers but is increasingly influenced by recommendation systems, audience engagement metrics, and platform logic. This study aims to critically examine Islamic communication strategies within algorithmic ecosystems and explore their implications for religious authority, prophetic communication, and digital da'wah practices. This research employs a qualitative approach using a library research method by synthesizing scholarly publications on digital da'wah, prophetic communication, digital religious authority, social media algorithms, and Islamic communication. Data were analyzed through the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, including data collection, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that algorithmic platforms have shifted da'wah communication from message-oriented communication toward engagement-oriented communication, encouraging concise, visual, emotional, and highly interactive religious content. This transformation simultaneously creates opportunities for wider dissemination of Islamic teachings while generating challenges such as fragmented religious authority, commercialization of da'wah, and algorithmic bias. The study proposes the Prophetic Algorithmic Da'wah Communication Model (PADCM) as a conceptual framework integrating prophetic values, digital literacy, algorithmic awareness, religious authority, and ethical Islamic communication to strengthen the sustainability of da'wah in digital ecosystems.

Keywords: algorithmic communication; digital da'wah; prophetic communication; social media; religious authority.

Islamic Ecotheology and Environmental Communication: Strengthening Ecological Awareness through Green Dakwah at Daarut Tauhiid Islamic Boarding School, Bandung

Agus Mubarok, Awaludin Pimay, Ibnu Fikri, Senki Nurachmadi — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:36:44 +0700

This study develops an Integrative-Transformative Green Dakwah paradigm to strengthen the ecological awareness of santri at Daarut Tauhiid Boarding School, Bandung. Using a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design, qualitative data were collected through interviews, observation, and documentation, followed by a quantitative survey of 335 respondents using a Likert-scale questionnaire. The findings show that Green Dakwah is grounded in Islamic ecotheological values, particularly tawhid, khalifah, amanah, mizan, and rahmah, and communicated through education, role modeling, habituation, dialogue, participation, and direct ecological practices. Ecological awareness was very high in the epistemological (M = 4.65) and methodological (M = 4.37) dimensions, while the praxis dimension was lower (M = 4.04), indicating a knowledge–action gap. The study reconstructs Green Dakwah as a transformative process integrating Islamic ecotheology, participatory communication, value internalization, ecological awareness, ecological praxis, and pesantren ecological culture. The model offers theoretical and practical contributions to strengthening sustainable ecological culture in Islamic educational institutions.

From Information to Social Change: Communication, Community Networks, and Tourism Development in Berau Regency, Indonesia

Ahmad Hidayah, Hanafi Saputra, Elvawati, Yuhelna, Sri Rahmadani, Ziya Ibrizah — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 19:16:42 +0700

Tourism development depends not only on economic resources and institutional arrangements but also on how information circulates among governments, tourism organizations, businesses, workers, and local communities. Yet communication is often treated as a neutral process of transmitting development information, overlooking the network relations through which access, voice, and participation are differentially structured. This study examines how community communication networks shape access to information, participation, and emerging agency in tourism development in Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Using a qualitative and interpretive approach, the study re-analyzes empirical material from interviews, observation, documentary sources, and online information through a communication-centered analytical framework. The analysis draws primarily on Castells’ concept of communication power and network society, complemented by Habermas’ theory of communicative action and perspectives from Development Communication and Communication for Social Change. The findings indicate that tourism-related information is frequently mediated through organizational and interpersonal networks, including tourism associations and local institutional relationships. Network connectivity facilitates information circulation, access to programs, and opportunities for participation, but these networks also create boundaries that may limit access for less-connected actors. The study therefore conceptualizes community networks as both infrastructures of inclusion and mechanisms of communicative exclusion. It argues that communication contributes to social change not automatically through information transmission, but through a contingent pathway from access to information toward voice, participation, and community agency.

Meaning of Nutritious Food in Policy Communication: The MBG Program in Depok City

Desna Aryana, Rajab Ritonga, Teddy Oswari — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:57:05 +0700

The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) is one of the Indonesian government’s strategic policies aimed at improving children’s nutritional quality and reducing stunting rates. However, the implementation of nutrition policies is influenced not only by technical nutritional standards but also by how people interpret and respond to these policies in their daily lives. Previous studies have mainly focused on health effectiveness and policy evaluation, while research examining nutrition policy as a process of communication and meaning contestation remains limited. This study aims to analyze the contestation of the meaning of “nutritious eating” between the state’s construction through policy discourse and the community’s construction through everyday social practices in the implementation of the MBG Program in Depok City. This study employed a qualitative approach using a case study method through in-depth interviews, non-participant observation, and documentation. Eleven informants consisting of students, teachers, and parents were selected purposively. Data were analyzed thematically and supported by Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine the relationship between policy discourse, communication practices, and people’s social experiences. The findings show that the government constructs “nutritious eating” as a technical nutrition standard based on public health indicators, while the community interprets it as food that is tasty, filling, culturally appropriate, and economically affordable. Teachers also play an important role as mediators in negotiating meaning between policy narratives and everyday consumption practices. This study identifies a Nutritional Policy–Consumption Gap between policy standards and actual food consumption practices within society. The findings suggest that the success and legitimacy of public policy are determined not only by technical policy design but also by dialogic, participatory, and contextual communication strategies between the government and the community.

Campaign Model for the 2024 Regional Head Election in Asahan Regency and Tanjung Balai City (Comparative Study of Single and Multi-Candidate Candidates)

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:00:50 +0700

Differences in the structure of competition in the election of regional heads are important to study because they determine how candidate pairs design messages, choose communication channels, mobilize voters, and build political legitimacy. This study aims to find and compare the campaign models of candidate pairs in the 2024 Regional Elections in Asahan Regency and Tanjung Balai City, as well as identify opportunities and communication barriers. The research uses a phenomenological qualitative approach with a comparative study type. A total of 12 informants were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and documentation, then analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña models through collection, condensation, data presentation, and conclusion drawn. The validity of the data is strengthened through triangulation of sources and theories. The results of the study show that Asahan Regency implements a legitimacy-participatory campaign model that emphasizes motivational communication, consultative dialogue, village network mobilization, and increased voter participation. The city of Tanjung Balai implements a competitive-adaptive framing-disruption model through candidate differentiation, management of local issues, digital communication, relational networks, and viral momentum. These findings confirm that the structure of the competition determines the objectives, messages, channels, organization, and measure of campaign success. Further research is recommended to test both models through quantitative approaches or mixed methods.

Instagram Citizen Journalism on Palestine–Israel Conflict: A Systematic Literature Reviews and Content Analysis

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:36:26 +0700

Instagram has emerged as a significant platform for citizen journalism, enabling individuals to disseminate firsthand information and alternative narratives during armed conflicts. This study examines the role of Instagram in disseminating information about the Palestine–Israel conflict through citizen journalism and explores public responses to such content. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed by combining thematic analysis of Instagram comments with a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Public comments were collected from selected Instagram posts published by prominent Palestinian citizen journalists, while relevant literature published between 2016 and 2026 was systematically reviewed following the PRISMA framework. The findings indicate that Instagram functions as a strategic medium for documenting humanitarian issues, amplifying Palestinian voices, and fostering global awareness beyond the agenda of mainstream media. Audience responses primarily reflected humanitarian concerns, solidarity, emotional engagement, calls for collective action, and evaluations of information credibility. However, the study also identifies significant challenges, including algorithmic bias, content moderation, shadow banning, and account restrictions, which reduce the visibility of Palestinian narratives and constrain citizen journalism practices. The study contributes to the literature on digital communication by demonstrating how Instagram facilitates citizen journalism in conflict settings while highlighting the importance of journalistic ethics, digital rights protection, and collaboration with professional media organizations to strengthen information credibility and counter misinformation.

Keywords: Citizen Journalism; Instagram; Palestine–Israel Conflict; Social Media; Digital Communication