Tomy Cahyo Gutomo, Harliantara Harliantara

Human Interest Feature as Public Communication Strategy Hajj Pilgrimage 2024

Introduction

Human interest feature as public communication strategy hajj pilgrimage 2024. Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs strategically uses human interest features via MCH for 2024 Hajj public communication, fostering positive public perception.

Abstract

In the organization of the Hajj pilgrimage, the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Indonesia consistently involves mass media. The Ministry recruits journalists from both mainstream media and Islamic community media to become part of the Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH). In the 2024 Hajj season, these journalists formed the Media Center Hajj (MCH), which serves as the government’s frontline in conducting public communication with pilgrims and the broader public. MCH content is published across various platforms, with a significant portion presented in the form of human interest features. These stories are evaluated daily by the Ministry’s Public Relations team, and underperformance may affect the media's future participation in Hajj coverage. In recent years, the Ministry has emphasized human interest stories, recognizing the numerous inspiring narratives among pilgrims that resonate strongly with the public and significantly shape perceptions of the Hajj pilgrimage. The objective of these communication efforts is to foster positive public perception and enhance satisfaction with the Hajj experience, despite its logistical complexity involving 241,000 pilgrims. This study explains how the Ministry of Religious Affairs, through the MCH, strategically employs human interest features as a key tool for public communication during the 2024 Hajj. The researchers, who participated directly as members of the MCH, conclude that this strategy was effective in positively influencing public perception and presenting the Hajj implementation as successful. Keywords: Hajj 2024, PPIH, Public Communication, Human Interest, Feature

Review

This paper presents a timely and relevant examination of public communication strategies employed during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Indonesia. The core contribution lies in its analysis of how the Ministry, through the Media Center Hajj (MCH), strategically leverages human interest features to shape positive public perception and enhance satisfaction with the logistically complex Hajj experience. The unique position of the researchers, who directly participated as MCH members, offers an insider's perspective into the operationalization of this communication approach, providing valuable insights into government-led media engagement and content creation during large-scale public events. The emphasis on "inspiring narratives" as a tool for public diplomacy and perception management is particularly noteworthy. While the abstract effectively outlines the strategy and its intended outcomes, several areas warrant further exploration in the full paper. The claim of effectiveness in "positively influencing public perception and presenting the Hajj implementation as successful" would benefit from a more detailed discussion of the methodology used to assess this impact. Beyond the daily evaluation by the Ministry's PR team, what specific metrics or qualitative assessments were employed to validate this conclusion? Furthermore, the practice of recruiting journalists into the Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH) and evaluating their "underperformance" raises important ethical considerations regarding journalistic independence and potential biases in reporting. A deeper discussion on how the MCH balances its role as a government communication arm with the journalistic principles of objectivity and critical inquiry would strengthen the analysis. This study offers a compelling starting point for understanding the intricate relationship between government bodies, mass media, and public perception in the context of major religious events. Future research could expand upon this by conducting independent audience reception studies to corroborate the claims of positive influence. A comparative analysis with public communication strategies from other nations organizing Hajj pilgrimages or similar large-scale events would also provide valuable context. Finally, a dedicated examination of the ethical dimensions of government-recruited journalists, exploring their role, autonomy, and the long-term implications for media trust and credibility, would significantly enhance the academic and practical utility of this work.

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