In the last two decades Internet has influenced aspects of human life including democracy. In Indonesian context, since the arrival of Internet in the last 1990s, it was creating new phenomenon known as online political communication. It dramatically have been changing the practice of traditional political communication mediated by convensional media. This article try to provide discussion theoretically and practically relating to the issue. Theoreticaly it explores of how internet has modified classical  political communication theory; how new character of Internet has potential effect for producing better quality and quantity of political communication as well as how  it has  arised problematic issues on the process. Furthermore, this discussion briefly conclude that political communication in the future might never separate from this new medium. It may become most intriguing 'live laboratory' for researcher of the potential roles of the Internet in the political communication process.

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Perkembangan teknologi informasi dan komunikasi menyebabkan media massa mulai mengikuti perkembangan teknologi terkait adanya pergeseran pola konsumsi media ke media digital. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui upaya konvergensi media pada surat kabar harian lokal Jateng Pos di Semarang, Jawa Tengah. Penelitian deskriptif kualitatif ini menggunakan pendekatan studi kasus instrumental tunggal, dimana peneliti mengidentifikasi dan menganalisis satu isu spesifik. Data diperoleh dari hasil wawancara dengan narasumber, buku, artikel, serta literatur terkait lainnya. Dengan menggunakan konsep konvergensi media dari Siapera dan Veglis, penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Jateng Pos mengadopsi empat tipe konvergensi media yang berkaitan satu sama lain: a) konvergensi teknologi dengan mengelola media online (jatengpos.co.id) dan hadir di media sosial seperti Instagram, Twitter dan Facebook; b) konvergensi konten yang mengombinasikan bentuk tulisan, foto dan video; c) konvergensi bisnis, dimana keterhubungan tanpa batas di Internet menambah mitra bisnis (pengiklan) bukan hanya dari Jawa Tengah, tapi seluruh Indonesia; serta d)  konvergensi profesional dengan cara mempersiapkan SDM yang mampu memproduksi dan mendistribusikan berbagai macam konten yang dibutuhkan berdasarkan platformnya.

Ekspresi beragama seringkali problematis, terutama saat berhadapan dengan dilema antara agama yang seringkali berseberangan dengan nilai demokrasi. Di area abu-abu seperti ini agama rentan disalahgunakan dalam kontestasi politik. Studi ini bertujuan mengeksplorasi peran agama dalam dalam proses komunikasi politik mengenai konstruksi kepemimpinan politik (political leadership) capres 2014 di Twitter. Dengan menggunakan analisis wacana kritis studi ini menunjukkan adanya praktik sosial berupa politisasi agama yang bekerja melalui mekanisme politik keshalehan personal (politics of personal piety). Hal ini tersebut dilandasi temuan penggunaan nilai agama mayoritas (Islam) sebagai alat legitimasi kepemimpinan politik ideal dan sebaliknya penggunaan nilai-nilai agama/keyakinan minoritas untuk mengkonstruksi kepemimpinan politik tidak ideal. Hal ini menyiratkan bagaimana hegemoni agama dimanfaatkan secara sistematis untuk meraih kekusaaan politik. Dengan demikian peran agama dalam kontestasi politik di Twitter cenderung bersifat degradatif terhadap proses demokrasi. Hal ini disebabkan karena proses komunikasi politik gagal mendiskusikan nilai agama dengan prosedur dialog netral. Kata kunci : Pilpres, politik keshalehan personal, Twitter AbstractReligious expressions are often problematic, especially when faced with a dilemma between religions that are often opposed to democratic values. In this gray area, religion is vulnerable to misuse in political contestation. This study aims to explore the role of religion in the process of political communication on Twitter about construction of political leadership during 2014th presidential election. Using the critical discourse analysis of this study shows the existence of social practices of religious politicization working through the mechanism politic of personal piety. The conclution is based on the findings of the use of majority religius value (Islam) as a legitimacy tool for representing ideal (good) political leadership and in contrast the use of minority religion values/ beliefs to constructing bad political leadership. This implies how religious hegemony is used systematically to achieve political power. Thus, the role of religion in political contestation on Twitter tends to be degradative to the democratic process. This is because the political communication process fails in discussing religius value from the perspective of neutral dialogue procedures

Anonymity is crucial medium of democracy that is used for guaranting freedom of expressing freely without fear. The study was conducted to identify the role of anonym Twitter account that taking part in the political communication process during 2014 Indonesian presidential election. By applying Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) this study identified texts produced by anonym Twitter accounst discussing about precidential candidate figure and explore their roles in the political communication. The results of the study reflect that anonym Twitter accounts do not support freedom of expression but contrary it is involved in elite political contestation. Political debates among anonym Twitter accounts create pathology of democracy degradates democratization process in social media.