The migration of celebrities into politics, as well as the rise of social media platforms, has transformed traditional political campaigning strategies. This shift has allowed for more strategic communication among political figures, the media, and citizens. Nonetheless, the shift to digital campaigns needs a media transformation approach to enable more ethical and effective political campaigns in the future. Over the past five years, previous research has focused on how the combination of traditional media and emerging digital platforms has created a transformative media environment that significantly impacts political communication without focusing on actor-centric approaches. This study examines the migration process, focusing on the role of celebrity politicians in the 2024 election. Ahmad's celebration of politics and Couldry and Hepp's deep mediatisation theories will be used in this study to explain the transformation of political communication in the digital era. This study aims to provide a complete understanding of the intricate interplay in celebrity politics. A case study of 3 celebrity candidates examines how their respective media trajectories shape their modes of self-presentation in order to gain visibility, virality, and votes, particularly on platforms like TikTok. This comparative perspective highlights the distinct pathways through which celebrity candidates navigate democracy and appeal to young voters. However, this contribution unintentionally blurs the distinction between entertainment and politics. Additional research is necessary to investigate the possible difficulties and opportunities for democratic consolidation, as well as the long-term impacts of how transformation media-driven political communication affects the character of democracy in Indonesia.

Authors:
Isni Hindriaty Hindarto, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia

About the Presenter(s)
Isni Hindritaty Hindarto is a PhD student in Communication Science, Universitas Indonesia. She has been a communication professional for over 20 years, specialising in marketing communications, journalism, PR, advertising, and strategic promotions.

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