Journalistic Ethics and Communicative Morality Transformation
A Traffic Safety Model for Public Policy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55537/j-ibm.v6i1.1731Keywords:
communicative morality, journalistic ethics, public policy, traffic safety, value internalizationAbstract
Traffic accidents in Indonesia remain strongly associated with human factors, indicating the limitations of sanction-based safety approaches. This study synthesizes journalistic communication morality and traffic ethics, analyzes Law Number 22 of 2009 as a normative communicative text, and proposes the Communicative Morality Transformation Model (CMTM). Using library research with a theoretical-normative approach, the study combines documentary analysis, normative text analysis, cross-domain theoretical synthesis, and limited semi-structured interviews with three purposively selected informants. The findings identify ethical dimensions within traffic regulation, structural similarities between journalistic and traffic ethics, and four stages of communicative morality: Coercive, Calculative, Normative, and Autonomous. The model provides a framework for designing traffic-safety messages and policy interventions according to users’ moral orientation. Limited interview evidence supports the model’s plausibility, but broader empirical validation is required before wider application.
Downloads
References
Adillah, F., Jaya, T. E., & Khairunnisa, H. (2026). Pengaruh moral, sosialisasi, kesadaran, dan sanksi pajak terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak online. Jurnal Akuntansi, Perpajakan dan Auditing, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.21009/japa.0603.04
Ariyani, L. F. (2024). Communication ethics in social media among the millennial generation. Journal of Civics and Moral Studies, 9(2). https://journal.unesa.ac.id/index.php/jcms/article/view/31462
Carey, J. W. (2009). Communication as culture: Essays on media and society (Rev. ed.). Routledge.Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Eriyanto. (2002). Analisis framing: Konstruksi, ideologi, dan politik media. LKiS.
Faus, M., Alonso, F., Fernández, C., & Useche, S. A. (2023a). Assessing the "virality" of a road safety communication campaign intended to change behavior: A case study in Spain. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2023.1295516
Faus, M., Fernández, C., Alonso, F., & Useche, S. A. (2023b). Different ways… same message? Road safety-targeted communication strategies in Spain over 62 years (1960–2021). Heliyon, 9, e18775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18775
Habermas, J. (1984). The theory of communicative action: Vol. I. Reason and the rationalization of society (T. McCarthy, Trans.). Beacon Press.
Harahap, A. S. (2006). Jurnalistik televisi: Teknik memburu dan menulis berita. PT Indeks.
Kasman, S. (2004). Jurnalisme universal: Menelusuri prinsip-prinsip dakwah bi al-qalam dalam Al-Qur'an. Teraju.
Korlantas Polri. (2024). Data kecelakaan lalu lintas nasional tahun 2023. https://korlantas.polri.go.id/korban-meninggal-kecelakaan-lalu-lintas-mayoritas-usia-produktif/
Kovach, B., & Rosenstiel, T. (2014). The elements of journalism: What newspeople should know and the public should expect (3rd ed.). Three Rivers Press.
Kusumaningrat, H., & Kusumaningrat, P. (2009). Jurnalistik: Teori dan praktik. Remaja Rosdakarya.
Leasfita, A., Vanie, A., & Annisa, C. M. (2026). Framing analysis of the pig head terror case reporting to Tempo journalists on the online news portals Tempo.co and Detik.com. Jurnal Netnografi Komunikasi, 5(1), 71–89. https://doi.org/10.59408/jnk.v5i1.151
Littlejohn, S. W., & Foss, K. A. (2011). Theories of human communication (10th ed.). Waveland Press.
Lucas, A. J., Alonso, F., Faus, M., & Javadinejad, A. (2024). The role of news media in reducing traffic accidents. Societies, 14(5), 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14050056
McCarty, D., & Kim, H. W. (2024). Risky behaviors and road safety: An exploration of age and gender influences on road accident rates. PLoS ONE, 19(1), e0296663. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0296663
McQuail, D. (2010). McQuail's mass communication theory (6th ed.). Sage Publications.
Naziz, A. (2020). Sustainable development goals and media framing: An analysis of road safety governance in Bangladeshi newspapers. Policy Sciences, 53(4), 759–777. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-020-09393-0
Nurudin. (2007). Pengantar komunikasi massa. Rajagrafindo Persada.
Romli, A. S. M. (2012). Jurnalistik online: Panduan mengelola media online. Nuansa Cendekia.
Romli, K. (2016). Komunikasi massa. Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia.
Saragih, M. Y. (2019). Media massa dan jurnalisme: Kajian pemaknaan antara media massa cetak dan jurnalistik. Jurnal Pemberdayaan Masyarakat, 6(1), 81–92. http://jurnal.uinsu.ac.id/index.php/PEMAS/article/view/4988
Saragih, M. Y. (2020). Kode etik jurnalistik dan kebebasan pers di era millenial ditinjau dari nilai-nilai Islam. Al-Balagh: Jurnal Komunikasi Islam, 3(1). http://jurnal.uinsu.ac.id/index.php/balagh/article/view/6759
Saragih, M. Y., & Harahap, A. I. (2020). The challenges of print media journalism in the digital era. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1). https://www.bircu-journal.com/index.php/birci/article/view/805
Severin, W. J., & Tankard, J. W. (2001). Communication theories: Origins, methods, and uses in the mass media (5th ed.). Addison Wesley Longman.
Sumadiria, H. (2014). Jurnalistik Indonesia: Menulis berita dan feature. Simbiosa Rekatama Media.
Tahapary, K. Y., & Laksono, A. R. (2025). The effect of safety leadership on safety compliance: The mediation role of safety behaviors and safety motivation. Golden Ratio of Human Resources Management, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.52970/grhrm.v5i2.1343
World Health Organization. (2023). Global status report on road safety 2023. WHO Press. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240086517
Znow, F. A., & Tasruddin, R. (2026). Teknologi komunikasi massa, komunikasi massa, dan globalisasi. Jurnal Studi Multidisipliner, 10(1), 179–183. https://sejurnal.com/pub/index.php/jsm/index
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 M. Yoserizal Saragih, Muhari Syahlaili Saragih

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.