Metajournalistic Discourse as a Framework for Analyzing Journalistic Practices: A Literature Review for the Study of Indonesian Journalism

Abstract

This study presents a literature review that offers a conceptual framework for understanding the dynamics of contemporary Indonesian journalism’s transformation through the integration of a metajournalistic discourse perspective into the historical trajectories of the sociological turn and the emotional turn in journalism. This perspective remains underutilised in Indonesia, as journalism studies in the country have traditionally been dominated by normative, political-economic, textual, or cultural analytical frameworks, whilst the dimension of the journalistic profession’s discursive reflexivity has been relatively under-explored. Using a qualitative approach based on critical literature review, this manuscript traces the theoretical genealogy of metajournalistic discourse as an evolution of the sociological tradition that emphasises journalism as a negotiated social institution. It demonstrates how this perspective intersects with the ‘emotional turn’, particularly in understanding that journalistic legitimacy is not merely rational but also affective. The conceptual discussion suggest that metajournalistic discourse can function as an analytical bridge linking structural and emotional dimensions in the transformation of contemporary journalism. In the Indonesian context, this perspective opens up opportunities to analyse how journalists are redefining professionalism, authority, and the boundaries of journalistic practice amidst the pressures of platformisation and digital disruption. This article contributes to broadening the theoretical horizons of journalism studies in Indonesia by introducing an approach that focuses on the processes of legitimation and boundary work.