Material, Economic, and Social Dimension of Remediations at Radar Jogja

Abstract

This study investigates the digital transformation of local print media through the remediation process at Radar Jogja, a regional newspaper in Yogyakarta adapting to the digital ecosystem. Motivated by declining print circulation and a shift in public consumption toward online platforms, the research identifies Radar's forms of remediation and analyzes their dynamics across material, economic, and social dimensions. Using a qualitative case study approach, the study collected data through semi-structured interviews with key editorial and digital personnel, direct observation, and document analysis, then analyzed it using pattern-matching techniques. The results indicate that, in the material dimension, Radar Jogja demonstrates both light and heavy remediation, ranging from simple link-sharing on text-based platforms to extensive audiovisual adaptation on Instagram and TikTok, primarily influenced by platform logic and organizational sub-branding through Radar Malioboro. In the economic dimension, although the outlet has adopted digital attention-economy metrics, it remains structurally dependent on print revenue and uses digital publishing partly to address print space limitations. In the social dimension, Radar Jogja continues its traditional public policy watchdog role across digital formats, while also accommodating commercial imperatives such as sponsored segments. The study concludes that remediation in local media is a multi-dimensional, non-linear process shaped by the ongoing interaction among journalistic identity, platform algorithms, and economic constraints, offering key theoretical and practical insights into the survival of legacy media in the digital era.