Meaning Construction and Reception in The Official Instagram Content of The West Java Provincial Sports Committee

Abstract

This study aims to examine the construction and reception of meaning in visual and verbal content published on the official Instagram account of the West Java Provincial Sports Committee (KONI West Java) during the 2022–2026 period. Social media is understood not merely as an information channel, but as a representational space in which meanings, identities, and the symbolic legitimacy of elite sport at the regional level are produced and circulated. The study adopts a critical paradigm with a qualitative approach, employing critical discourse analysis grounded in Cultural Studies. Data were collected from selected Instagram posts and analyzed thematically by examining visual elements, verbal texts, cultural symbols, and patterns of audience interaction. The findings indicate that meaning construction is carried out systematically through the use of local cultural symbols, narratives of institutional sporting achievement, and the prominent presence of elite figures from sports organizations and regional government. These representations generate a dominant discourse positioning West Java as a leading province in national sports performance and framing KONI as a central actor in the success of athletic development. In terms of reception, audiences predominantly demonstrate a dominant acceptance of the constructed meanings, reflected in affirmative responses and the limited presence of overt resistance, although negotiated interpretations emerge on a small scale. This study concludes that KONI West Java’s social media functions as an instrument of symbolic power that normalizes values of achievement, leadership, and regional pride. The findings highlight the need for a more critical and participatory sports public relations approach, so that media representations do not merely reinforce institutional legitimacy but also foster more inclusive spaces for public dialogue.