The role of newspapers published in North Sumatra during Indonesia's independence struggle between 1916-1925: A content analysis

Abstract

Background: Newspapers played an important role in fostering a sense of nationalism, instilling the concept of "nation", fostering a sense of belonging, and maintaining the unity that the colonized people desperately needed to achieve independence. This study aims to investigate the involvement of indigenous newspapers in the struggle for Indonesian independence in North Sumatra during the Dutch colonial period, as well as to highlight how the contents of the newspaper's coverage were narrated in the struggle for Indonesian independence. Methods: This study used a qualitative content analysis (QCA) method. Research analysis includes manifest analysis (shown on the surface of the text) and latent analysis (hidden in the text) on the title, topic and sentence of each article. The validity test was carried out by peer-reviewing coding books and coding forms. Reliability test in the form of Intercoder reliability using NVivo 12 interrater reliability. Results: The results of the study found 107 articles in 13 indigenous newspapers in North Sumatra that supported the struggle for Indonesian independence from Dutch colonialism. There are 7 forms of narrative of the struggle for Indonesian independence in indigenous newspapers in North Sumatra from 1916-1925. The seven narratives are found in the title, topic, and sentences written in the article. National movements were the most narratives found with 36.73% found in titles (N= 49), 26.09% in topics (N=89), and 23.72% in sentences in the text (N=156). The fewest narrations were criticisms and demands to the Netherlands of 2.04% for title analysis. The next least narrative is patriotism with a score of 5.43% for topic analysis and 6.41% for sentences in the text. Conclusion: The role of newspapers in the struggle for independence in North Sumatra is evidenced by the findings of 107 articles in 13 newspapers in seven forms of struggle narratives.